Definitions

wéi still water

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a geographic name used almost exclusively in Weizhou Island (涠洲岛) in the Gulf of Tonkin. The traditional form 潿 is a phono-semantic compound: the water radical signals an association with water, fitting for an island, while the right-side component (wéi) provides the pronunciation and subtly suggests enclosure ( means 'to enclose'). The simplified character replaces the phonetic component with its simplified form . Lacking broader everyday use, it is strictly a toponym, formed by the common method of combining a geographical radical with a phonetic.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern