About
The character 祆 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the semantic radical 示 (shì), which relates to altars or religious rites, with the phonetic component 天 (tiān), meaning sky or heaven. It was created to represent the supreme deity of Zoroastrianism, a religion introduced to China from Persia, and by extension also refers to the religion itself. The use of 天 reflects the faith's focus on a heavenly supreme being, setting it apart from native traditions associated with 示, and the character is chiefly found in historical and religious texts concerning this belief system.
Etymology Hide
