Definitions

gōu used in 佝僂|佝偻[gōu lóu]; Taiwan pr. [kòu]
kòu used in 佝瞀[kòu mào]

Etymology

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side semantic component (human) combines with the right-side phonetic component , which provides the sound and originally meant "bent" or "curved". It originally denoted a person with a stooped posture, later associated with rickets. Today it appears almost exclusively in 佝偻, a word describing spinal or limb deformities from nutritional deficiencies.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern