梁

A horizontal structural support crossing a void. This may be:

• Architectural: A beam or cross-beam.
• Infrastructural: A bridge (spanning water, a ravine, etc.).
• Metaphorical: An essential support or "pillar" of a state, family, or organization; often appears in the compound 棟梁 (ridgepole and beam) to refer to talented individuals necessary for governmental stability.

Functions almost exclusively as a noun. Actions involving this glyph generally require an accompanying verb such as 築 (to build) or 架 (to set up/span).

• Architectural: Distinguished from smaller, slanted rafters (椽).
• Proper Nouns: High frequency as a surname or in reference to the Liang Dynasty and its associated territories.

• Variants: U+6A11; 樑.
• Orthographic note: 梁 and 樑 are functionally interchangeable. The form 樑 explicitly adds the wood radical (木) to emphasize timber construction and appears more frequently in later texts. 梁 is standard in early strata and remains the default for stone or abstract supports.

When encountering this glyph, check for proximity to titles, dates, or official names to distinguish whether the sense is architectural/infrastructural or a proper noun.