Definitions

stable, fence, corral; frontier, border

Etymology phono-semantic

enclosure

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a semantic-phonetic compound, combining the enclosure radical , which graphically represents boundaries or a confined space, with the phonetic component . In its earliest usage, it referred to a stable or enclosure for keeping horses, then came to mean the act of imprisoning or managing captives in a restricted area. Later, classical texts adopted it to signify frontiers or national borders, reflecting the concept of defensive perimeters and restricted movement.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern