About
The character 覃 combines an upper component originally meaning "cover" or "lid" (related to 襾 or a variant of 西) with the lower component 早. Its early structure conveyed a sense of extension or stretching. The primary meanings are depth, profundity, or broad extension, especially in classical literary usage. Today, it is most commonly used as a Chinese surname, with varying pronunciations based on region or family line, shifting its main function from an adjective of depth to a proper noun.
Etymology Hide
