yuān

gulf

Originally written as 𣶒, which depicted water inside of a deep pool. The left (water) component was added later.

Components
氵 meaning component

  Meaning component

shuishuǐ

  

water

is a component form of .

𣶒 iconic component

𣶒  Iconic component

yuān

  

deep pool

Pictograph of water inside of a deep pool.

Evolution

淵 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
淵 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
淵 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
淵 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
淵 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

yuān

gulf, abyss, deep; deep pool; deep; profound

Most common words with 淵
Freq.
Word
Meaning

深渊

abyss

渊源

origin

渊博

erudite

deep

李渊

Li Yuan, personal name of first Tang emperor Gaozu 唐高祖[Táng​Gāo​zǔ] (566-635), reigned 618-626