毛
surname Mao; hair; feather; down; wool; mildew; mold; coarse or semifinished; young; raw; careless; unthinking; nervous; scared; (of currency) to devalue or depreciate
Closest English meanings
hair·feather·fur·rough
The Calligrapher — Ōuyáng Xún 欧阳询
Tang regular-script master whose 'Ouyang style' is a basic learning model.
Tang calligrapher (557–641), master of regular script/running script — Tang codifier of regular script; crisp, architectural strokes you could measure with a ruler. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
毛 in oracle bone script pictures a tuft of hair; the 說文解字 calls it '眉髮之屬', what belongs to brows and hair. It meant hair, fur, and feathers alike. Ancient texts used 毛 for the fine fur of animals and for rough, unfinished cloth. To be without 毛 was to be bare; 毛 was the smallest, most ordinary covering.
Common words & phrases
- 毛衣 sweater · woolen sweater
- 毛巾 towel · washcloth
- 毛笔 writing brush · brush pen
- 毛病 problem · fault · illness
- 羽毛 feather · plumage
- 毛利 gross profit · margin
Read the story behind the character
毛 is everywhere: a winter 毛衣 (sweater) keeps you warm, a 毛巾 (towel) wipes the face, a 毛筆 (brush pen) writes calligraphy. A car with a 毛病 (problem, fault) goes to the shop; a shopkeeper counts 毛利 (gross profit). Even 羽毛 (feathers) on a pillow remind us of the word's soft origin.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Ōuyáng Xún 欧阳询, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.