阑 (lán) — (bound form) railing, balustrade, fence

Definition

A literary bound form meaning 'railing' and appearing in set phrases. Note its two idiomatic uses: 阑尾 (appendix, in 阑尾炎 'appendicitis') and 阑珊 (waning, of night or lights).

bound form
railingbalustradefence
Easily confused

Examples

  • 阑，。
    Qǐng fú hǎo lán gān, xiǎo xīn tái jiē.
    Please hold the railing and watch the steps.
  • 。
    Tā yīn wèi lán wěi yán zhù le sān tiān yī yuàn.
    He was hospitalized for three days due to appendicitis.
  • 阑，。
    Yè sè lán shān, dēng huǒ jiàn jiàn xī miè.
    The night is waning, and the lights are gradually going out.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 闌; 阑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn闌lán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 闌 pairs 門 (door) with 柬, which supplies the sound; the simplified 阑 is a later abbreviation.

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