修

• Verb: To repair, mend, or trim (physical/mechanical); to cultivate, discipline, or actively master a discipline (intellectual/moral).
• Adjective: Long, slender, or elongated; elegant, refined, or exquisite.

• Transitive: Takes a direct object (e.g., repairing an object, cultivating the mind).
• Intransitive/Reflexive: Often appears without an explicit object when referring to spiritual practice or self-improvement.
• Attributive: Functions as a modifier for nouns to indicate length or elegance.

In early texts, 修 and 脩 are frequently interchangeable. The glyph 脩 is etymologically linked to "dried meat" or "strips of leather," providing the conceptual bridge between stretching/length and refinement.

When the intended meaning is "long" or "distant," 脩 is historically the primary form, though 修 is commonly used as a variant.