About
The character 囿 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 囗 (wéi) forming its outer structure, representing an enclosure or boundary. Inside, the component 有 serves as the phonetic element, indicating the pronunciation "yòu". Originally, 囿 referred to a walled park or hunting ground maintained by royalty for keeping animals and plants. Over time, its meaning expanded from a physical enclosure to the verb sense of confining or limiting, often describing intellectual or ideological constraints.
Etymology Hide
