About
吣 (qìn) is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 口 (kǒu, "mouth") marks actions of the mouth, originally vomiting by dogs or cats, later figurative "verbal vomit", while 心 (xīn, "heart") provides the sound without any emotional or cardiac meaning. Originally a graphic description of an animal being sick, it evolved into a coarse, dialectal insult for humans spewing worthless nonsense. Its strong vulgarity bars it from formal and polite usage, restricting it to abrasive slang, comic exaggeration, and regional taunts aimed at foolish or irritating speech.
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.