典

diǎn
#1,042 most
frequent character
canon, law, standard work of scholarship

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

典 began as two hands holding up a bamboo scroll, so it meant presenting a book. The hands and the scroll have since merged into one shape. From 'book' the sense grew to canon, to literary allusion, and to a standard or law.

Drawn as: hands holding a scroll

典 as a component in other characters

sound2 characters

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