xiāng
hometown
Simplified form of 鄉. Pictograph of two people facing each other, kneeling down to share a meal. Based on the original meaning "feast" or "offer food", now written as 饗. The meaning later shifted to "hometown". The right two components were removed for simplification.
Components
Evolution
![乡 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC) 乡 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)](https://data.dong-chinese.com/img/sinica/%E9%84%89_0.png)
Oracle script
(~1250-1000 BC)![乡 Bronze script Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC) 乡 Bronze script Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)](https://data.dong-chinese.com/img/sinica/%E9%84%89_4.png)
Bronze script
Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)![乡 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD) 乡 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)](https://data.dong-chinese.com/img/sinica/%E9%84%89_7.png)
Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)![乡 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD) 乡 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)](https://data.dong-chinese.com/img/sinica/%E9%84%89_14.png)
Clerical script
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)Traditional script
ModernSimplified script
ModernDefinitions
Most common words with 乡
Freq. | Word | Meaning |
---|---|---|
rustic | ||
hometown | ||
native place | ||
countryside | ||
city and countryside |