The Calligrapher — Lù Jiǎnzhī 陆柬之
Tang calligrapher and nephew of Yu Shinan; his running-script 'Essay on Literature' survives
Tang calligrapher (), master of running script — known for 《文赋》. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
阽 sets 占 within the mound radical 阝 and means to be on the brink, in imminent danger, as if standing at the edge of a precipice. Classical writers used it of rulers and realms facing ruin, a precarious closeness to falling. 阽危 is peril, 阽死 the verge of death, and the character carries a grave, literary tone of a fate balanced at the very lip of disaster.
Common words & phrases
- 阽危 in peril · in danger
- 阽死 on the verge of death
- 阽身 risk one's life
Read the story behind the character
Today 阽 is rare in speech, confined to solemn or written contexts: a state is 阽危 when its survival hangs by a thread, a hero 阽死 when death is a step away, and one may 阽身, risking life for a cause. You meet it in history and oratory rather than conversation. The character preserves an old, elevated way of saying how close we stand to the edge.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Lù Jiǎnzhī 陆柬之, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.