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劓 is a phonosemantic compound: 鼻 (bí) provides the sound, while 刂 (a variant of 刀 'knife') gives the meaning. The combination of nose and knife directly depicts the cutting off of a nose. In ancient China, this character designated one of the five severe corporal punishments, amputation of the nose as a legally prescribed penalty, and never served as a general word for cutting. Because the components so clearly illustrate the act, the meaning remained anchored to this historical punishment. It appears occasionally in classical texts on ancient laws or brutal penalties, but in modern Chinese its use is entirely confined to these historical references.
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