衛

• Verb: To guard, defend, or shield.
• Noun (Agent): A guard, sentry, or bodyguard.
• Noun (Institutional): Military units, court officials, or the institutionalized "Guards" (common in Han and later imperial contexts).
• Proper Noun: The State of Wei (Spring and Autumn period).

Typically transitive when used as a verb.

Distinguished from other terms for protection by its focus on shielding or military perimeters:

• 衛: Active shielding, perimeter defense, or warding off.
• 守: Static duty, holding/maintaining a position, or adhering to a promise.
• 保: Nurturing, ensuring a result, or administrative protection.

// Tang-period reading: //hiuɛ̀i

• Semantic variant: U+885E
• Simplified variant: 卫 (U+536B)

• In historical texts, if the glyph appears without a clear object to be guarded, prioritize the proper noun reading (State of Wei).
• Note compounds such as 衛城 (citadel/defensive city); depending on the period of the text, this may shift from a literal military description to a general metaphor for security.