0029 向

向

This character means ‘face toward, turn toward,’ (mukau/muku), and ‘opposite side,’ (mukō) in Japanese. It’s xiáng in Chinese, meaning ‘toward, direction, trend.’ Some of the ancient versions were pretty close

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but others were much more intricate

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The idea is that the square or circle represents a small round ventilation window in the northern wall under the roof. Did people want to face that window? Not clear.

外向

means ‘extroverted, outgoing,’ which is clear from the combination of characters meaning ‘outside’ and ‘face toward.’