山

Mountain; generic for any significant elevation (hill, peak, ridge, heights). In combination with 水 (water), the term may represent "nature," "the wilderness," or "the landscape." In political or military contexts, it can function as a marker for a boundary, frontier, or mountain pass.

Primarily used as a noun; frequently functions adjectivally to mean "mountainous" or "of the mountain."

Tang-period reading: *shrɛn (Fanqie: 所閒).

The glyph is scale-neutral; it may refer to a single rocky outcrop, a foothill, or a collective range. Additionally, references to "entering" or "going to" the mountains often signal an ideological shift toward detachment, spiritual cultivation, or hermitage rather than a simple change in location.