厚

The glyph describes a movement from concrete physical dimension to abstract measures of character, quantity, and intensity.

1. Physical: Thickness or depth (e.g., soil, fabric, walls).

2. Quantitative: Substantiality or abundance; when applied to rewards, payments, or gifts, it indicates a lavish amount.

3. Moral/Ethical: Generosity, sincerity, kindness, or benevolence.

4. Intellectual/Foundational: Depth of knowledge; stability and quality of a foundation.

• Adverbial: Functions as "greatly," "lavishly," or "deeply," frequently modifying verbs of feeling (affection) or giving (rewarding).
• Attributive/Qualitative: Used to describe the nature of a person's disposition or a bond (e.g., hòu qíng).

Contrast with 薄 (bó, thin): The translator should determine if the axis is physical (thick vs. thin) or moral (generous/sincere vs. stingy/superficial).

Tang-period readings list both hòu and hǒu; these are treated as phonetic variations rather than indicators of distinct semantic entries in classical texts.

• Avoid anachronistic readings that suggest "dense" in the sense of being slow-witted; in classical contexts, the glyph is almost exclusively neutral or positive.
• Contextual Cues: Proximity to terms regarding benevolence (rén), ritual (lǐ), or material wealth typically signals the amplitude of a gift or virtue.