Wen

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The word wen has two meanings, it can be the symbols used by the Chinese to write on the bones of animals, and it can also be the word for civilization itself. Wen is the oldest form of the Chinese language. The Chinese combined the wen to express more complex ideas. the combined characters were called 'Zi'. Wen eventually became known as the word for civilization itself.

Cited Sources

CF Manual page 186

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/chinese/lamb_chineseChars.pdf pages 81 & 83