About
The character 揆 is a phono-semantic compound originally meaning to measure, estimate, or consider carefully. Its semantic component, the hand radical 扌 (shǒu), indicates an action of physical measurement or manipulation. The right side, 癸, serves as the phonetic element, contributing the pronunciation "kuí"; 癸 was also originally one of the Heavenly Stems. The meaning later expanded from the literal act of measuring to denote the highest administrative position in historical governments, coming to mean a prime minister or chief administrator responsible for evaluating state affairs and making major decisions, a usage common in classical texts and historical terminology.
Etymology Hide
