Definitions

afternoon; in decline

Etymology

Depicts the sun () slanting towards the west casting a tilted shadow of a person. The component depicting the tilted shadow was later replaced by the phonetic component .

About

The character 昃 is structured from the component 日, representing the sun, and 仄, which denotes slanting or inclination, thus etymologically conveying the image of the sun tilting in the sky. This composition originally signified the period after midday when the sun begins to decline. Over time, the character's usage has been largely confined to classical or literary contexts, maintaining a specific association with the concept of afternoon or westward decline, without significant expansion or shift in its core meaning.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern