The Calligrapher — Wèi Héng 卫恒

Jin calligrapher and theorist; author of the Four Script Forms and Their Force (Siti Shushi).

Jin calligrapher (), master of seal script/clerical script — known for 《四体书势》. Jin dynasty

Cultural Story

叫 was to cry out. In the villages the rooster's 叫 marked the hour before dawn; in folk belief a 叫魂 ritual called a straying soul back to a sick child at night. The word was sound given a cause -- the bird, the summons, the voice raised to fetch what had wandered. It named crying that meant something, not mere noise.

Common words & phrases

• 叫喊 shout · cry out
• 叫做 be called
• 大叫 yell
• 叫醒 wake up
• 叫唤 call out

Read the story behind the character

An alarm 叫醒 the sleeper; a child 叫喊 for help in the pool. The shop is 叫做 by a name no one spells; the dog 叫唤 at the gate. The word does the day's calling -- the wake-up, the shout, the name given, the bark at the door. It is sound with intent, the voice that reaches, rouses, names, or warns whoever is within hearing.