About
The character "涕" exemplifies a phono-semantic construction, integrating the water radical "氵" to convey its association with liquid and the component "弟" primarily to guide pronunciation. In its earliest textual appearances, the term was used to denote tears, a meaning consistently preserved in classical poetry and prose. Over time, the semantic range of "涕" experienced a notable expansion, sometimes encompassing nasal mucus in certain historical contexts, which created a degree of overlap between references to ocular and nasal fluids. This ambiguity was later resolved through lexical compounding, so that in contemporary usage "涕" independently refers to tears, while the specific sense of nasal discharge is carried by the two-character word "鼻涕", thus refining the character's specificity while maintaining its original structural composition.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
感冒时容易流鼻涕。
小孩子哭得鼻涕都出来了。
她擦掉脸上的涕泪，继续说话。
他因感动而涕泣，无法自制。
在寒冷的早晨，鼻涕容易流出来。
医生建议多喝水以减少鼻涕。
看到那悲惨的场景，人们无不涕泪横流。
尽管他试图掩饰，但涕泪还是暴露了他的悲伤。