On the Character: 联

Huang Weijia (黄伟嘉)

Tan Yunfei (谭云飞)

Learn about a character that’s been fostering connections since ancient times

Festivals can be a headache for many Chinese. Peak seasons for celebrations and ceremonies, holidays also often mean, as per tradition, giving out money to relatives and friends. Even for long-lost schoolmates one hasn’t contacted, or (联系 liánxì) in Chinese, for years, gifts have to be handed over at, say, a wedding. After all, humans are social animals, and such human 联结 (liánjié, connections) have bound people together in China for millennia.

The Chinese character 联 (lián) first appeared in oracle bone script over 3,000 years ago. Comprised of an 耳 (ěr, ear) radical on the left and a 糸 (sī, silk) on the right, it symbolized tying something through a person’s ear, which scholars believe conveyed the meaning of “linking” or “joining.” Its current form emerged during the Qing dynasty (1616 – 1911), with the right part simplified as 关 (guān) in some texts, though its meaning has remained basically unchanged throughout history.

In Unofficial Gleanings of the Wanli Era ( 《万历野获编》 ), a Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644) encyclopedia, scholar Shen Defu (沈德符) described people from Beijing going to the city’s suburbs to ”travel hand in hand, and prepare food and drinks on the ground (联袂嬉游，席地布饮 liánmèi xīyóu, xídì bùyǐn).”

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