啖 and 啖 are all variants of 喖.
Various characters refer to different writing methods or deformations of the same Chinese character. In different historical stages and regions, the same Chinese character will have morphological differences due to language evolution, writing habits or other reasons. The characteristics, causes and applications of variant characters will be described in detail below.
1. Characteristics of variant characters
The characteristics of variant characters refer to different writing forms of the same Chinese character, existing in different variations of the same glyph. Variant characters generally have similar or similar meanings, but have differences in form, such as the number of strokes, the order of writing, or the combination of radicals.
2. Reasons for the emergence of variant characters
The emergence of variant characters is due to various reasons such as changes in language and culture, the evolution of writing methods, the influence of calligraphy styles, and regional differences. In different historical periods and regions, people wrote Chinese characters through continuous evolution and deformation, leading to the emergence of variant characters. Due to the differences in the forms of variant characters, it sometimes causes problems for people to understand and read.
3. Application of variant characters
Variant characters have certain value in the study of calligraphy and ancient characters. In calligraphy, variant characters can be used to reflect the calligrapher’s personal style and aesthetic pursuits.
Many ancient calligraphers made some innovations and variations when writing Chinese characters, forming unique fonts. These fonts are a manifestation of variant characters. In the study of ancient characters, variant characters are helpful for studying the evolution of Chinese characters and the historical changes of characters, so as to better understand the origin and development process of Chinese characters.
Expand knowledge:
The existence of variant characters enriches the form and meaning of Chinese characters, but it also brings certain difficulties to people's learning and use. The following is some knowledge and phenomena related to variant characters:
Examples of variant characters:
Common variant characters include 日和曰, 飞和飞, 长和长, etc. These variant characters sometimes appear in modern Chinese writing, but may have different preferences in different words or situations. Some variant characters are more commonly used in formal occasions or official documents, while other variant characters are more common in the art of calligraphy or the study of ancient documents.
Standardization and arrangement of variant characters:
In order to unify the writing and standardized use of Chinese characters, the National Language and Character Working Committee of China formulated the "Modern Chinese Common Character List". This character list stipulates commonly used characters, and standardizes and organizes various variant characters to ensure consistency in the writing and use of Chinese characters.