About
The character 膑 (traditional form 臏) is a phono-semantic compound. Its left side features the flesh radical 月, indicating a connection to the body, while the right side provides the phonetic component 宾. Originally, it referred to the patella, or kneecap. However, the character’s primary meaning shifted to denote a severe ancient punishment: the removal or destruction of the kneecaps, which permanently crippled the victim. This punitive sense became its dominant usage in historical accounts of early legal systems.