Wei Collection, Middle Volume
Radical: Silk (mì)
Character: Zuan
Kangxi Stroke Count: 20
Page 942, Entry 15
Pronounced zuan (falling tone).
In the Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen), it is defined as resembling a woven cord and being red in color. In the Biography of Emperor Jing from the History of the Former Han (Hanshu), it is written: Embroidered silks and woven cords are things that harm the work of women.
Also, according to the Leipian, it signifies to gather or collect. In the Treatise on Literature from the History of the Former Han (Hanshu), it is written: Yang Xiong took that which was useful to create the Xun Zuan Pian (Discourse on Training and Compilation).
It is also used interchangeably with zuan (to continue or succeed). In the Biography of Ban Gu from the History of the Former Han (Hanshu), it is written: To continue the legacy of Yao.
It is also used interchangeably with cuan (to gather). In the Rhapsody on the Sheng (Sheng Fu) by Pan Yue, it is written: The songs of the jujube gatherer are cuan cuan. The commentary states: The ancient song of Du Yin says, Why is the jujube gathering so dense? Cuan refers to the appearance of being gathered together. Zuan and cuan were used interchangeably in ancient times.
According to the Jiyun, it is sometimes written in a variant form (cuan).