張 reading
Origin of the character
The character 張 combines the bow radical (弓) with 長 (long), and originally denoted the act of drawing a long bowstring and stretching it taut. In the oracle-bone script it was rendered as the image of drawing a bow out long, and through the bronze inscriptions and small seal script it became standardized into its present form. From the sense of stretching or drawing a bow, the character gradually expanded to meanings such as 'to spread,' 'to set forth,' and 'to extend.'
How it is built
弓 (bow) + 長 (long) = 張 (to spread)
張 is a semantic compound combining the bow radical (弓) and 長 (long). By depicting the drawing of a long bowstring tightly spread or stretched, it came to mean 'to spread,' 'to unfold,' and 'to extend.' Other characters related to the bow in a similar way include 彈 (to twang a bow) and 弛 (to slacken a bow).
In its line
The stars are spread out in their mansions.
Line 4 of 250 in the Thousand Character Classic.
Words with this character
- 虛張聲勢허장성세
To put on a show of power through bluster despite lacking real ability. It is used mainly when someone with no substance merely boasts loudly or assumes a threatening attitude.
- 大張旗鼓대장기고
Literally "to raise banners high and sound the drums," it likens undertaking something on a grand scale or starting it with a great commotion. It is used chiefly when proceeding with an affair amid a great display of force.
After writing
From the sense of 張 as 'to spread,' Confucianism emphasizes the noble person's act of bestowing virtue widely and extending benevolence and righteousness. This signifies a broad heart and practice that bring benefit to all members of society. As the Analects say, "The noble person gathers friends through learning and aids benevolence through friends," bestowing benevolence is held to be of great importance.Confucianism
As you drew each stroke slowly, did a moment from today come to mind?
