About
The character 罄 is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic radical 缶 (a ceramic vessel) sits below the phonetic component 殸 (a sounding stone), which provides the pronunciation "qìng". Its core meaning is to be entirely empty or exhausted, as in a pot that has been completely emptied. This sense extends to describe the total depletion of resources, the exhaustion of energy, or the exhaustive narration of events until nothing remains unsaid.
Etymology Hide
