Definitions

to bury, to inter

Etymology phono-semantic

earth

Semantic:

About

The character "瘗" originates from its traditional form "瘞", which is structured with the "疒" radical often associated with affliction and the component "殹" functioning as a phonetic element that concurrently implies the notion of covering or concealment. Historically, this character denoted the action of burying or interring, with specific application to ritual practices such as the burial of sacrificial offerings. In its simplified iteration, the phonetic component was altered to "夹", a change that modified the character's orthography while the core meaning related to burial persisted, albeit with a more formal or literary usage in contemporary language.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern