缵
(literary) to inherit
Closest English meanings
continue·inherit·carry on
The Calligrapher — Lǐ Yōng 李邕
Tang running-script master famed for his stele inscriptions.
Tang calligrapher (678–747), master of running script — known for 《麓山寺碑》（李北海）. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
缵 is inheritance as action: to take up what an ancestor laid down. The 诗经 blesses a bride with the words 缵女维莘, continuing the line of a great house; historians wrote of princes who 缵绪, succeeding to the throne, or 缵业, carrying the family enterprise forward. Clan genealogies used the character to bind generations into one unbroken task.
Common words & phrases
- 缵承 inherit · carry on
- 缵绪 succeed to the throne
- 缵业 continue the enterprise
Read the story behind the character
The character survives in formal settings: memorial halls praise founders whose descendants 缵承 (inherit, carry on) the family trade; centennial company profiles vow to 缵业 (continue the enterprise); and historical dramas have ministers swear loyalty to the new emperor's 缵绪 (succeeding to the throne). Daily speech has moved on, but ceremony keeps it employed.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Lǐ Yōng 李邕, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.