Zi Collection, Page Position: Lower Radical: Person (rén) Page 89, Entry 14 According to the Dictionary of Correct Characters (Zhengzitong), the character for the multitude is the original form of the simpler character for the multitude. The Original Meaning of the Six Writings (Liushu benyi) explains that the character is formed from the radical for person, using three person figures combined to represent the meaning of people of the same kind gathering together. This is a pictographic character. It is sometimes also written in a variant form (ren ren ren).