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Why does 面 mean both "noodle" and also used for directions

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Chinese Lover
I realize this is not a history group, but I still have to ask:
Why does 面 mean both "noodle" and also used for directions, for example, 前面 means "front"?
Is there some historical explanation for this and many other types of words like this in chinese?
Note: As pointed out in many other posts in this group, this is just one factor you have to get used to when learning Chinese. I understand that. I am looking for a historical explanation, if one exists.

by Josh Broyde
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1 Answer
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Chinese Lover
Best Answer

麺 means noodles.

In simplified it comes out as 面

by Hannibal Hector

more specifically, 麵. I think 麺 is the Japanese variant?

by Trevor Kafka


It was from two separate traditional characters that got merged into one when simplified characters were introduced.

by Trevor Kafka

 

麵 this is the tradition character. You can find this character in Japanese language system too as many Chinese characters were exported together with its culture in history thousands of yrs ago.

面 - this is simplified character, with initial meaning as a flat surface. But 麵 was merged & simplified as 面 when the simplified character exercise happened.

by Andreae Ngian



面 started to mean face by embracing the character 目(eye), and later acquired the meaning of surface, side, aspect etc.

麪(same as 麵)used to mean flour or noodle, was simplified as 面, and the left part 麥 (simplified as 麦) means wheat



images are from the internet

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