<p>Just my opinion after a quick look!</p>

<p>1 - Why does 绍 have a silk in it?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/21/xs/7ECD.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.zdic.net/z/21/xs/7ECD.htm</a></p>

<p>绍: (1) (形声。从糸( mì),召声。本义:继承;紧密连续)</p>

<p>I would say, 糸( mì) is not really silk, just a figurative thread, band or bond.</p>

<p>Doesn't a thread, for example, in chinese.stackexchange.com, carry on? The idea is not new.</p>

<p>形声: 召声 is the sound of 绍.</p>

<p>2 - What's the meaning of 绍 in 介绍?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/15/js/4ECB.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.zdic.net/z/15/js/4ECB.htm</a></p>

<p>介：在两者中间: 介于两者之间。between both sides (friendship)<br>
绍: 连续 go on without stopping</p>

<p>introduce: the etymology is not clear, but may be:<br>
intro- means in (between)<br>
ducere: lead (the one to the other perhaps)</p>

<p>Overall: 介绍： between (2 or more people) tie a bond which (hopefully) lasts.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-23T23:22:02.413Z
2018-12-23T23:22:02.413Z
Pedroski
<p>According to the dictionaries, the character 绍 means "to carry on, to continue". Looking at its etymology, I found nowhere saying nothing else from it being composed of silk (纟) and the sound 召 [zhao]. Even back in the days it had the meaning "to inherit, to carry on a tradition" and I can't see where the silk comes in.</p>

<p>Apart from that, where does the meaning "to carry on, to continue" relates to the word 介绍? It seems today 绍 is mostly used in the word 介绍 and in city names, like in 绍兴.</p>

<p><strong>Questions:</strong><br>
1 - Why does 绍 have a silk in it?<br>
2 - What's the meaning of 绍 in 介绍?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-23T21:35:13.487Z
bkrs：绍：(4) 介绍, 为人引见, 使相互认识 [introduce]
绍我周王见休。 --《孟子》
胜请为绍介。 --《史记·鲁仲连传》
士为绍摈。 --《仪礼·聘礼》 
介(5) 介绍 [introduce]
其所以相亲也, 不介而自亲。 --李康《命运论》
accordingly 介绍 could be considered a 复合词 of type 联合型（并列型）（see e.g. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%88%E6%88%90%E8%AF%8D#%E8%81%94%E5%90%88%E5%9E%8B%EF%BC%88%E5%B9%B6%E5%88%97%E5%9E%8B%EF%BC%89)
user6065
<meaning><characters><etymology>
Etymology/meaning of character 绍 and its relation to 介绍
# Etymology/meaning of character 绍 and its relation to 介绍

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-23)

According to the dictionaries, the character 绍 means "to carry on, to continue". Looking at its etymology, I found nowhere saying nothing else from it being composed of silk (纟) and the sound 召 [zhao]. Even back in the days it had the meaning "to inherit, to carry on a tradition" and I can't see where the silk comes in.

Apart from that, where does the meaning "to carry on, to continue" relates to the word 介绍? It seems today 绍 is mostly used in the word 介绍 and in city names, like in 绍兴.

**Questions:**  
1 - Why does 绍 have a silk in it?  
2 - What's the meaning of 绍 in 介绍?

Thanks!

**Tags:** meaning, characters, etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: bkrs：绍：(4) 介绍, 为人引见, 使相互认识 [introduce] 绍我周王见休。 --《孟子》 胜请为绍介。 --《史记·鲁仲连传》 士为绍摈。 --《仪礼·聘礼》  介(5) 介绍 [introduce] 其所以相亲也, 不介而自亲。 --李康《命运论》 accordingly 介绍 could be considered a 复合词 of type 联合型（并列型）（see e.g. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%88%E6%88%90%E8%AF%8D#%E8%81%94%E5%90%88%E5%9E%8B%EF%BC%88%E5%B9%B6%E5%88%97%E5%9E%8B%EF%BC%89)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-12-23. Score: 1

Just my opinion after a quick look!

1 - Why does 绍 have a silk in it?

<http://www.zdic.net/z/21/xs/7ECD.htm>

绍: (1) (形声。从糸( mì),召声。本义:继承;紧密连续)

I would say, 糸( mì) is not really silk, just a figurative thread, band or bond.

Doesn't a thread, for example, in chinese.stackexchange.com, carry on? The idea is not new.

形声: 召声 is the sound of 绍.

2 - What's the meaning of 绍 in 介绍?

<http://www.zdic.net/z/15/js/4ECB.htm>

介：在两者中间: 介于两者之间。between both sides (friendship)  
绍: 连续 go on without stopping

introduce: the etymology is not clear, but may be:  
intro- means in (between)  
ducere: lead (the one to the other perhaps)

Overall: 介绍： between (2 or more people) tie a bond which (hopefully) lasts.


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