About
The character 撄, traditional form 攖, is a phono-semantic compound. Its left-side semantic radical 扌 indicates a hand action, while the right-side phonetic component 婴 (traditional: 嬰) provides the pronunciation. Originally, it expressed the physical act of grasping or touching with the hand. This core meaning of contact later extended to abstract contexts, where the character came to signify opposing, conflicting with, or disturbing something or someone.