Definitions

zhāng husband's mother; the lady in the moon

Etymology phono-semantic

woman

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "嫜" is structured with the radical 女, indicating its association with women, combined with the component 章, which primarily functions as a phonetic marker. Etymologically, it originated to denote a wife's father-in-law, specifically her husband's father, and was commonly used in classical texts within the compound "姑嫜" to refer to both parents-in-law. While its core meaning has remained consistent over time, referring strictly to this familial role, the character has transitioned into archaic usage and is now largely absent from modern vernacular, preserved mainly in historical or literary contexts.