About
The character 琰 is a phono-semantic compound denoting a type of precious stone. Its semantic jade radical 王 on the left signals its connection to jade or gems, while the phonetic component 炎 on the right indicates the pronunciation "yan". Historically, 琰 specifically referred to a ceremonial jade tablet or a sharp-edged gem. Due to its associations with value and brilliance, the character is now used primarily in personal names rather than in common contemporary vocabulary.
Etymology Hide
