About
The character "泔" is a phono-semantic compound comprising the water radical (氵) and the phonetic component "甘", which historically provided a pronunciation cue. Its etymology associates it with liquids from food preparation, initially specifying water used for rinsing rice or the fermented byproduct of such activity. The semantic focus shifted over time from this specific referent to a broader application for kitchen slops and waste water, as seen in its modern usage in compounds like "泔水".
Etymology Hide
