About
The character "瑁" in its traditional form consists of the semantic component "玉" (jade) combined with the phonetic component "冒". Its original and primary meaning was a specific type of ceremonial jade object, known as a guimao, which formed the top piece of a sovereign's jade scepter. The character's structure directly reflects this, with the "jade" radical indicating its material and the "冒" component hinting at its function of covering or capping the scepter. Over time, the term became an obscure, archaic word for this particular ritual object. The character also saw historical use as a personal name, notably as part of the name Sun Huan, a military general from the Three Kingdoms period, though this usage is not connected to its original meaning. In modern language, the character is largely obsolete and is primarily encountered in historical or classical texts referencing the ancient artifact or in that specific historical personal name.
Etymology Hide
