亳

bó

乇 + 亠 + 冖 + 口

Definitions

bó used in 亳州[bó zhōu] (the name of a place in Anhui)

Etymology

About

亳 is a proper noun confined to geographic names, built from 亠 on top, a middle portion resembling the top of 高, and 乇 below. Coined to designate an ancient Shang Dynasty capital, it is rooted in early Chinese political geography and does not follow the standard phono-semantic pattern for ordinary objects or concepts, functioning instead as a specialized locational marker. Its meaning remains strictly within historical geography, referring to that original settlement, and to modern administrative regions or cities descended from it.