Definitions
Jing River
Etymology phono-semantic
water
Semantic:
氵
About
The character "泾" evolved from the traditional form "涇", which etymologically refers to the Jing River and is structured with the water radical "氵" and the phonetic element "巠". While initially denoting this specific river, its meaning extended to figurative uses in compounds like "泾渭分明", illustrating a clear divide. In the simplified form "泾", the right component is altered to "圣", yet the water radical persists to associate the character with aquatic concepts.
Etymology Hide