Friday, May 22, 2026, the sixth day of the fourth lunar month

Long.

Li Du's article is here, with a flame that stretches far and wide.

——Tang Han Yu's "Tiao Zhang Ji"

“long”It's the silhouette of an elder walking with a cane in oracle bone script——A few graceful lines outline the drooping long hair, supported by a cane due to old age, with the weight of time settling in the image.

The ancients did not cut their hair. Long hair is not only the annual ring of life, but also a symbol of dignity. The Oracle Bone Script Dictionary clearly states that“long”character“The shape of elephant man's long hair”Continued Examination of Yin Xu's WritingAlso say it“Like a person with long hair”The longer the hair, the deeper the age.

Xu ShenthenI saw another meaning，He is inShuowen Jiezi"); box-sizing: border-box !important; overflow-wrap: break-word !important;">middleexplainfor“Long ago as well”And the characters were disassembled into“From Wu to Dao”.“lofty”Representing high and distant space,“dagger”Implies the trend of change.When time accumulates to the extreme, changes will occur and new things will grow.This kind ofSmall Seal Script Character Form"); box-sizing: border-box !important; overflow-wrap: break-word !important;">The intention of departure, although deviating from the concreteness of oracle bone inscriptions, accurately captured“long”The philosophical leap: from the extension of space (hair length, staff height) to the profoundness of time (eternity, change).

“long”The evolution of characters is a microcosm of the cognition of our ancestors. It refers to“elder”The noun 'growth'（zhǎng）An adjective used to describe time and space（cháng）Further elevated to a symbol of power (officer). This tells us: the real“long”It is not only the accumulation of time, but also an upward growth.

MayyouIn my own time and space, everything I do is smooth sailing, and everything I love is long-lasting.