镸

cháng

adjective

Meanings

1 ancient form of 长 (long; length)
2 Kangxi radical #168; appears only as a component in modern Chinese

Characters

镸

cháng

long (archaic, = 长)

Tips

history

镸 is the unsimplified pre-Qin shape behind both 長 (traditional) and 长 (simplified). Oracle-bone forms drew a person with long flowing hair leaning on a staff — 'long' generalised from 'long-haired'. The seven-stroke 镸 preserves that older silhouette before the cursive flattening that produced 长.

usage

You will not write 镸 alone in modern text; it surfaces as Kangxi radical #168 and as a component in 髟 (long hair), 套 (set; sheath, where the 镸 sits over 大), 肆 (wanton; the number four formal), 镽 (slender). Recognising it makes the link between 长 and these older spellings visible.

Components

pictograph

镸 cháng

long (ancient form of 长); Kangxi radical #168

Self-pictograph — Kangxi radical #168 and the unsimplified shape behind both 長 and 长. The oracle-bone graph drew a person with long flowing hair leaning on a staff; 'long' generalised from that long-haired image. Today 镸 surfaces only as a component inside chars like 髟 (long hair), 套 (sheath), 肆 (wanton).

Stroke Order