匽 (yǎn): to hide; to conceal (archaic)

Meanings

1 to hide; to conceal (archaic)
2 to stop; to lay aside (archaic, variant of 偃)
3 a pit or pool for collecting filthy water (archaic)
4 Yan, a rare Chinese surname

Characters

匽

yǎn

to hide; to lay aside (archaic)

Examples

海内安宁，兴文匽武。

Hǎinèi ānníng, xīng wén yǎn wǔ.

Within the seas all is at peace; civilization flourishes and arms are laid aside.

除其井匽，去其恶臭。

Chú qí jǐng yǎn, qù qí èchòu.

Drain the cesspits and clear away the stench.

Tips

history

Attested in the 《周礼》 for the cesspit / drainage-pool sense, and in the 《汉书·礼乐志》 — 兴文匽武 ('promote letters, lay arms aside') — where Yan Shigu glosses 匽 as a variant of 偃 ('cease, lay flat'). The character was always rare and is replaced today by 偃 or 隐.

register

Archaic — definitions follow classical attestation only. You meet 匽 in commentary editions of 《周礼》 and 《汉书》, and occasionally in personal-name attestations from the Spring-and-Autumn state of 齐. Modern Chinese uses 偃, 隐, or 掩 for these senses.

Components

radical

匚 fāng

right-facing enclosure; basket

Outer 匚 (Kangxi #22, the basket / enclosure radical, opening to the right) — semantically anchors the meaning 'hide / conceal inside an enclosure'. Same radical drives 匹, 区, 医, 匪.

phonetic

妟 yàn

peace; calm (here phonetic)

Inner 妟 (a sun + woman element meaning 'peace, calm') gives the sound (yàn → yǎn). Same phonetic in 偃 (lie down), 晏 (late, calm).