About
泗 is a phono-semantic compound with both geographical and physiological meanings. Its left side, the water radical 氵, provides the semantic category of liquid or water. The right side is 四 (four), which acts as the phonetic component indicating the pronunciation "sì". Geographically, it historically names the Si River in Shandong province. Physiologically, classical Chinese used it to denote nasal mucus or discharge. It often appears in the compound 涕泗 (tìsì), combining "tears" and "nasal mucus" to describe profuse weeping. Thus, the character serves either as a river name or a classical term for nasal secretions.
Etymology Hide
