Definitions

kuī to laugh at; to pity; sad; afflicted

Etymology phono-semantic

heart

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "悝" is structured with the heart radical 忄 on the left and the phonetic component 里 on the right, associating it with emotional or mental states. Etymologically, it originally denoted the act of ridiculing or mocking in early Chinese literature, but its meaning later expanded to include conveying grief or sorrow, showing a shift from an external action to an internal emotion.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern