About
The character "斛" is structurally composed of the components 角 and 斗, where 斗 semantically relates to measurement and 角 may have functioned phonetically or alluded to the horn-like shape of early vessels. Etymologically, it served as a unit of dry measure for grain, originally defined as equivalent to ten dou, though its precise capacity varied under different historical standards. While its form remained consistent, the character's usage gradually declined as traditional measurement systems were supplanted, leaving it largely obsolete in contemporary language except for specific historical or textual references.
Etymology Hide
