茕

煢

qióng

卂 + 𫇦

Definitions

qióng alone, desolate; without friends or family

Etymology

About

茕 is the simplified form of 煢, with its complex upper components, including a roof-like structure, replaced for writing ease while the lower phonetic element was kept. The traditional form itself suggests a solitary state, matching the character's meaning of desolate, alone, or orphaned, and it often appears in classical idioms for a lone, helpless person. This core sense of human isolation has remained consistent, with 茕 used mainly as a literary adjective without broadening into new meanings.