About
The character 刳 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the knife radical 刂 (a variant of 刀) on the right with the phonetic 夸 (kuā) on the left. The radical signals an action involving a blade, while the phonetic provides the pronunciation 'kū' and carries a historical connotation of splitting or spreading apart. Etymologically, the character denotes the physical action of cutting open, ripping up, or scooping out the inside of an object, such as hollowing out wood to make a boat or removing the internal organs of an animal. It is primarily utilized in classical texts to describe these carving or hollowing actions.
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