Definitions

jué loud laughter

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic radical (mouth) on the left signals a mouth-related action like vocalization, and the phonetic component on the right indicates the pronunciation. The character originally denotes loud, hearty laughter. In modern usage, especially in dialects and theatrical comedy, it has taken on the extended meaning of a joke, gimmick, or amusing trick, commonly found in the compound 噱头.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern