is this symbol  a kanji?


I see as part of more than one kanji. I looked for its meaning in tables and
dictionaries and I couldnt find anything. Does this symbol have a meaning of
its own?




Since there is no universally agreed upon definition of what is or isn't a
kanji, a question like `Is X a kanji` is ultimately opinion-based.

  * 「」is a component simplified from「熏」by analogy (same method as 黑 > 黒) for [Shinjitai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai) [Jōyō](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dy%C5%8D_kanji) characters like「薫」.

  * [Hyōgai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy%C5%8Dgai_kanji) kanji are not officially simplified, so standalone「」does not have an official status in Japanese.

* * *

Outside of Japanese, there are two places where「」is recorded as a standalone
character;

  1. In one of the numerous [Dunhuang manuscripts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunhuang_manuscripts), and

  2. In the Song Dynasty rime dictionary [[集韻]{しゅういん}](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiyun). Quote from 集韻:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zph3N.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zph3N.png)

_Translation, quoting from the
original[[說文解字]{せつもんかいじ}](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi) as this
is what 集韻 refers to_:

>
> 「[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4L1KP.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4L1KP.png)」、「」,
> [rimed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanqie) as「許」as the onset and「云」as the
> final.《說文解字》definition: "Smoke from fire going upwards, compound character
> from「屮」and「黑」." The combination of「屮」and「黑」looks like smoke from fire going
> upwards ( _ref. Seal Script version at the start_ ). In [clerical
> script](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script), this is written
> as「」.
> [Vulgar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variant_Chinese_character#Orthodox_and_vulgar_variants)
> forms include「燻」, but this way of writing is wrong.

As can be seen in the 集韻 image, however, the standard style in this text was
using characters that look like「黒」rather than「黑」, and these kinds of texts are
where the numerous Chinese character variants throughout history are attested
and recorded.




Since there is no universally agreed upon definition of what is or isn't a
kanji, a question like `Is X a kanji` is ultimately opinion-based.

  * 「」is a component simplified from「熏」by analogy (same method as 黑 > 黒) for [Shinjitai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai) [Jōyō](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dy%C5%8D_kanji) characters like「薫」.

  * [Hyōgai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy%C5%8Dgai_kanji) kanji are not officially simplified, so standalone「」does not have an official status in Japanese.

* * *

Outside of Japanese, there are two places where「」is recorded as a standalone
character;

  1. In one of the numerous [Dunhuang manuscripts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunhuang_manuscripts), and

  2. In the Song Dynasty rime dictionary [[集韻]{しゅういん}](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiyun). Quote from 集韻:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zph3N.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zph3N.png)

_Translation, quoting from the
original[[說文解字]{せつもんかいじ}](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi) as this
is what 集韻 refers to_:

>
> 「[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4L1KP.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4L1KP.png)」、「」,
> [rimed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanqie) as「許」as the onset and「云」as the
> final.《說文解字》definition: "Smoke from fire going upwards, compound character
> from「屮」and「黑」." The combination of「屮」and「黑」looks like smoke from fire going
> upwards ( _ref. Seal Script version at the start_ ). In [clerical
> script](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script), this is written
> as「」.
> [Vulgar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variant_Chinese_character#Orthodox_and_vulgar_variants)
> forms include「燻」, but this way of writing is wrong.

As can be seen in the 集韻 image, however, the standard style in this text was
using characters that look like「黒」rather than「黑」, and these kinds of texts are
where the numerous Chinese character variants throughout history are attested
and recorded.

