Definitions

dēng (onom.) thud; thump

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

An onomatopoeic phono-semantic compound, pairs the mouth radical on the left with the phonetic on the right. The radical indicates a connection to sounds or utterances, while supplies the pronunciation and visually completes the character without contributing to its meaning. Devised exclusively to mimic a sudden, heavy impact, the character is typically translated as a thud or thump, the sound of a heavy object striking a surface. It serves purely as an acoustic sign and has no abstract or extended senses.