Definitions

big

Etymology phono-semantic

person

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side semantic radical (rén) means "person", and the right-side phonetic (wú) is a common surname or the name of an ancient state. The traditional form is , using the phonetic . Originally, it referred to a person of large, imposing stature. Because of this narrow meaning, the character rarely appears in modern standard Chinese; it is found mainly in classical and historical texts, and occasionally in personal or place names that evoke a sense of physical presence.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern