<p>my English is limited.</p>
<h1>禄</h1>
<p>禄 means money. In ancient China, <code>圆形方孔铜钱 Circular Coin with a Square Hole</code>(a kind of coin showed as follows) is used as money.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kT96i.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kT96i.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>I guess the symbol you mentioned looks like <code>圆形方孔铜钱 Circular Coin with a Square Hole</code>, so it is related to <code>禄</code>.</p>
<h1>子</h1>
<p>As explained, I guess the outer layer means roof, inside layer sons.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-18T03:06:23.673Z
2022-11-18T03:06:23.673Z
prettypig
<p>A common folk symbol listed on Wikipedia is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion#/media/File:%E7%A6%84_l%C3%B9_or_%E5%AD%90_zi_symbol---red.svg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KvuF3m.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KvuF3m.png" alt="a circular symbol in red" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Wikipedia claims this symbol is a &quot;stylisation of the 禄 lù or 子 zi grapheme, respectively meaning &quot;prosperity&quot;, &quot;furthering&quot;, &quot;welfare&quot; and &quot;son&quot;, &quot;offspring&quot;. 字 zì, meaning &quot;word&quot; and &quot;symbol&quot;, is a cognate of 子 zi and represents a &quot;son&quot; enshrined under a &quot;roof&quot;. The symbol is ultimately a representation of the north celestial pole (Běijí 北极) and its spinning constellations, and as such it is equivalent to the Eurasian symbol of the swastika, 卍 wàn.&quot;</p>
<p>This symbol doesn't look like 禄 or 子, either in regular script or in seal script. Can someone explain how the symbol relates to the two characters mentioned? A source would be helpful.</p>

<character-identification>
How is this Chinese folk symbol related to its definition as a stylization of 禄 or 子?
# How is this Chinese folk symbol related to its definition as a stylization of 禄 or 子?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-11-15)

A common folk symbol listed on Wikipedia is [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion#/media/File:%E7%A6%84_l%C3%B9_or_%E5%AD%90_zi_symbol---red.svg):

> [![a circular symbol in red](https://i.sstatic.net/KvuF3m.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/KvuF3m.png)

Wikipedia claims this symbol is a "stylisation of the 禄 lù or 子 zi grapheme, respectively meaning "prosperity", "furthering", "welfare" and "son", "offspring". 字 zì, meaning "word" and "symbol", is a cognate of 子 zi and represents a "son" enshrined under a "roof". The symbol is ultimately a representation of the north celestial pole (Běijí 北极) and its spinning constellations, and as such it is equivalent to the Eurasian symbol of the swastika, 卍 wàn."

This symbol doesn't look like 禄 or 子, either in regular script or in seal script. Can someone explain how the symbol relates to the two characters mentioned? A source would be helpful.

**Tags:** character-identification


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-11-18. Score: 1

my English is limited.

# 禄

禄 means money. In ancient China, `圆形方孔铜钱 Circular Coin with a Square Hole`(a kind of coin showed as follows) is used as money.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kT96i.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/kT96i.png)

I guess the symbol you mentioned looks like `圆形方孔铜钱 Circular Coin with a Square Hole`, so it is related to `禄`.

# 子

As explained, I guess the outer layer means roof, inside layer sons.


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