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The character 腌 (yān or ā) refers to the process of salting, pickling, or curing food, especially meats and vegetables, for preservation or flavoring. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side semantic radical 月 (yuè), derived from 肉 (ròu, "meat"), indicates the character’s original connection to preparing animal products. The right component 套 (yǎn) provides the phonetic basis for its pronunciation. Although the radical suggests meat, the meaning broadened over time to include pickling or marinating any food, as in 腌菜 (yāncài, "pickled vegetables").
Etymology Hide
