About
As a phono-semantic compound, 侉 combines the left-side person radical 亻 (rén), indicating a human-related meaning, with the right-side phonetic component 夸 (kuā), which provides its sound. The character originally described speech with a strong regional accent or an unfamiliar dialect. It later developed an adjectival sense for someone ostentatious or boastful, extending the idea of exaggerated vocal expression to a behavioral trait of showing off.
Etymology Hide
