About
The character "觳" is structured with the semantic component "角" meaning horn and the phonetic component "殻" meaning shell, indicating an early association with objects crafted from such materials. Etymologically, it originally denoted a specific measure of volume for grains and could refer to a type of ritual vessel. Over time, its meaning shifted to describe insufficiency or crudeness, as seen in classical terms like "觳陋". In modern usage, "觳" appears almost exclusively in the compound "觳觫", which conveys trembling, a sense that likely extended from the visual metaphor of a shaking vessel or the physical agitation of an animal.
Etymology Hide
