About
刎 is a vivid verb meaning to slit one’s own throat, often to avoid capture or dishonor. It forms a phono-semantic compound: the radical 刂 (knife) on the right provides the core meaning of cutting or severing, while 勿 on the left serves as the phonetic component. Historically, this character has consistently described the act of suicide by blade, particularly in classical accounts of generals or tragic figures choosing a swift death by their own hand.
Etymology Hide