綿

Ideogrammic compound:

糸 (mì, “fine thread, silk”) — represents textile fibers.

帛 (bó, “silk fabric”) — indicates woven cloth or material.

Together, they depict threads forming soft, continuous fabric, symbolizing unbroken texture or flow.

綿花 (면화) — cotton (plant or fiber)

綿延 (면연) — to stretch continuously

綿密 (면밀) — detailed, fine, thorough

綿綿 (면면) — continuous, gentle, soft

綿羊 (면양) — sheep (lit. “cotton-like sheep”)

In Korean: 솜 (cotton), 면직물 (cotton cloth), and poetic phrases like 면면히 이어지다 (“to continue softly and endlessly”) preserve its dual sense of material softness and temporal continuity.

In traditional East Asian literature, 綿 often evokes tender emotion and persistence.

Softness (柔) and continuity (綿) together express the gentle endurance of feeling or time — for example, in Tang poetry describing “綿綿情意” (“soft, unending affection”).

As a textile term, 綿 also symbolized comfort, domestic peace, and feminine grace, since cotton and silk were central to household craft and economic life.

In calligraphy and painting, the term 綿勁 (miánjìn) — literally “soft yet forceful” — describes an ideal brushline that combines 柔 (softness) and 勁 (strength).

A masterful brushstroke flows continuously like silk threads, embodying the essence of 綿: unbroken, alive, and resilient.

An older variant 緜 (U+7DDC) replaces 糸 with 系 (“to connect”), emphasizing the sense of connection and continuity.