曜 calligraphy

曜

bright; glorious; one of the seven planets of premodern astronomy

Closest English meanings

light·glory·day

The Calligrapher — Qú Lìngwèn 瞿令问

Tang seal-script master famed for his suspended-needle seal (xuanzhen).

Tang calligrapher (), master of seal script — known for 《峿台铭》. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

曜 is the shining body. 七曜 the seven luminaries — sun, moon, and five planets — that named the week; 曜日 the day itself. 光曜 the radiance. The word is the bright wanderer and the day it rules. The Shuowen sees the sun and the show. A single character for the light that moves and the day it lends its name to.

Common words & phrases

  • 曜日 day of week
  • 七曜 seven luminaries
  • 光曜 light · radiance
  • 昭曜 shine · glorious

Read the story behind the character

In the modern world

曜日 is the day on the Japanese-style calendar; 七曜 the old 'seven luminaries.' You meet it in the astrology post and the timetable. The word names the shining bodies and the week they key — the sun, the moon, the five wanderers. From the horoscope to the schedule, 曜 is the light that orders the days, kept now mostly in the borrowed count.

Own this character

Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Qú Lìngwèn 瞿令问, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.