[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Elements # 银 yín silver ## Components [[钅 (jīn)]] [[艮 (gěn)]] ## Meaning Today, "银" refers to the metallic element silver, which is white in color and has excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. The character also broadly refers to monetary matters, such as in the word "银行" (yínháng - bank). Additionally, it is used as an adjective to describe things that have a silver-like color. ## History The character "银" (yín) originally means "silver" and is a compound ideogram. The left side is "金" (metal), indicating that silver is a metal, while the right side is "艮" (gěn), representing the pronunciation. The component "艮" also suggests the idea of being equal, implying that both gold and silver are precious metals of equal value, often referred to together as "gold and silver." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ？ ### Bronze Script ？ ### Seal Script ？ ### Clerical Script ![[银 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[银 sello.svg]]