About
The character 喑 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 口 (kǒu, "mouth") on the left and the phonetic component 音 (yīn, "sound") on the right. It primarily means to be mute, speechless, or voiceless, whether due to physical inability, shock, or intense emotion like grief or fear. This meaning extends to describe a state of general silence or suppressed speech, as seen in the compound 喑哑 (yīnyǎ), which refers to hoarseness or a mute, soundless environment.
Etymology Hide
