[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Interpersonal-Relationships # 邻 lín neighbor ## Components [[令 lìng]] [[⻏ (yì)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character "邻" (lín) refers to "neighbor" or anything related to neighboring areas or communities. It is commonly used in words like: - **邻居** (línjū) – neighbor - **邻里** (línlǐ) – neighborhood - **邻国** (línguó) – neighboring country The character retains the idea of closeness and neighboring relationships, extending beyond households to include broader contexts such as neighboring countries or regions. ## History The character "邻" (lín) is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic component "邑" (阝) represents a place where people live, while the original phonetic component "粦" (lín) is an ancient form of "磷," symbolizing lights from homes in the distance, resembling phosphorescent glows at night. In its simplified form, "邻" consists of "阝" (city) and the phonetic component "令" (lìng), which carries a connotation of beauty or goodness. In ancient times, this reflected the harmonious and supportive relationships between neighbors. The original meaning referred to a group of five households considered neighbors, and it later extended to mean neighbors or neighboring communities. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ? ### Bronze Script ? ### Seal Script ![[邻 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[邻 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[邻 reg.svg]]