About
The character 呓 is a phono-semantic compound. Its simplified form combines the mouth radical 口, indicating speech, with the phonetic component 艺 (yì). The traditional form 囈 uses the same radical but has the more complex phonetic component 埶 on the right. Etymologically, it means to talk in one's sleep or to babble deliriously, which relates directly to its semantic component. This core meaning is exemplified in the common compound 梦呓 (mèngyì), meaning sleep-talking or nonsensical ravings.