Chou Collection, Upper Volume
Radical: Enclosure (wéi)
Jiong
Kangxi strokes: 7
Page 217, Entry 10
Pronounced jiong (rising tone). According to Tang Rhymes (Tangyun), Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), and Rhyme Compilation (Yunhui), the pronunciation is similar to jing.
Explanations from Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi) define it as the appearance of intersecting window lattice bars that are bright and transparent; it is a pictographic character. It also refers to Bo Jiong, a personal name, who was an official serving as the Grand Carriage Driver during the Zhou Dynasty. The correct form is written as jiong, while common parlance mistakenly writes it as jiong. See the chapter titled Command of Jiong (Jiongming) in the Book of Documents (Shujing).
It is also interchangeable with the character jiong (bright). The poet Han Yu wrote in a poem, Insects chirp in the quiet room, the moon spills light through the bright window. Note: Here, the term jiong jiong signifies the same meaning as jiong jiong, which describes a bright appearance. The character jiong (bright) is composed of the radical for fire and the character jiong.