Definitions

gòu to draw a bow to the full; the range of a bow and arrow; old variant of 夠|够[gòu], enough

Etymology

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the lower-left radical (gōng, 'bow') gives the meaning category related to archery and tension, while the upper-right component 𣪊 (gòu) provides the pronunciation. Originally a martial verb, it meant drawing a bow to its fullest tension and, by extension, the maximum range of an arrow. From the idea of reaching full capacity, the character came to mean sufficient or enough, evolving from a concrete archery term into an abstract measure of adequacy.

Etymology Hide

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