About
The character 膻 is structured with the meat radical 月 (肉) on the left and the phonetic component 亶 on the right, indicating its etymological link to odors associated with animal flesh. Its primary meaning has long been the pungent smell of mutton or goat meat, derived directly from this composition. Over time, the character acquired an additional application in traditional Chinese medicine, where it forms part of the term 膻中 to designate a specific energy center in the chest, representing a semantic extension while the graphic form remained unchanged.
Etymology Hide
