Definitions
ivory bodkin for undoing knots
Etymology
About
觿 is a phono-semantic compound: the horn radical 角 on the left signifies an object made of horn, bone, or ivory, while the phonetic 巂 on the right provides the sound. It refers to an ancient pointed, awl-like tool carved from horn or bone, worn suspended from the belt and used to untie complex knots. Beyond its practical everyday use, it served as a symbolic coming-of-age accessory for young men in classical antiquity, marking their transition to adulthood and their ability to handle complicated affairs. The horn radical faithfully records the artifact's material; today the character appears only in classical literature, historical commentaries, and studies of ancient Chinese dress and ceremonial customs.
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