About
The character 挞 is a phono-semantic compound depicting the action of flogging or striking with a flexible instrument like a cane. Its traditional form, 撻, combines the hand radical 扌 on the left, signifying a manual action, with the phonetic component 達 on the right. The simplified form 达 replaces the complex phonetic element. Historically used in judicial contexts for corporal punishment, it still appears in literature describing severe beatings or forceful striking.
Etymology Hide
