仄

zè

人 + 厂

Definitions

zè to tilt; narrow; uneasy; oblique tones (in Chinese poetry)

Etymology

厂 represents a slanted cliff and 夨 represents a person with a tilted head, thus conveying the meaning "slanting".

About

仄 combines 厂, a slanted cliff, with 夨, a person with a tilted head, together conveying the idea of slanting. Its core meanings are "slanting" or "oblique", and by extension "narrow" or "confined". In classical Chinese prosody, 仄 categorizes the oblique tones, rising (上), departing (去), and entering (入), which stand in contrast to the level (平) tones in regulated verse.