About
The character 凌 is a phono-semantic compound with the ice radical 冫 on the left, providing its semantic category, and the phonetic component 夌 on the right. The ice radical originally indicated a meaning related to ice or an ice sheet. As ice can build up and rise, the character extended to convey concepts like soaring or mounting. This sense of rising above then developed metaphorical meanings of encroaching on, bullying, or insulting someone from a position of superiority. Thus, the character’s structure traces a semantic shift from a physical substance to abstract actions of transgression.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
凌晨三点，他还没睡。
他从不欺凌弱小。
她的头发有点凌乱。
山峰凌驾于云层之上。
直升机凌空而过。
她的意志凌驾于困难之上。
这些指控纯属欺凌和诬蔑。
梅花凌寒独自开。