延
yán
#1,101 most
frequent character
to prolong, to extend, to delay
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
延 uses 廴 (walk a long way) as the meaning part; the other piece is a variant of 正 zhèng and marks the sound. It began as 'to go out traveling' and later grew to 'extend, prolong' and 'delay.' The sound link is not clear in Mandarin today.
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