About
As a phono-semantic compound, 艋 combines the semantic radical 舟 (boat) with the phonetic element 孟. It originally denoted a small, narrow boat used in shallow waters or for short river journeys. This maritime meaning persists, though the character is now best known from the compound 艋舺 (Bangka), the historical name for Taipei's Wanhua District, which was once a major port where indigenous traders gathered in such canoes.