從

• To follow: physical accompaniment, trailing, or escorting.
• To comply/obey: submission to authority, alignment of will, or adherence to a model, precedent, or method.
• Point of departure: spatial origin ("from") or temporal starting point ("since").
• Logical origin: the starting principle or premise of an argument.
• Agency and trajectory: "by," "through," or "by way of."

The glyph functions both as a verb (the act of following) and as a preposition/adverb marking a point of departure or a specific path.

When used to mean "through," 從 emphasizes the specific trajectory, route, or channel followed. This contrasts with 經 or 過, which typically imply passing through a space or penetrating a boundary.

从 (U+4ECE) is a simplified graphical variant and is semantically interchangeable with 從.

Because the verbal ("following") and prepositional ("from") senses are closely linked, some passages may be ambiguous. If a translation as "from" results in awkward syntax, consider whether the text implies "in accordance with" or "following the lead of."