Definitions

scrofulous swellings or lumps

Etymology phono-semantic

sickness

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(traditional form: ) is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic component is the radical , which signals disease or sickness. Inside it, the phonetic element ( in traditional script) gives the character its pronunciation, without adding to the medical meaning. The character denotes scrofula, tubercular swellings of the lymph nodes, a precise medical term. Its structure thus classifies it as an ailment via the radical, while the phonetic distinguishes it from other disease-related characters.