About
The character "诡", whose traditional form is written as 詭, is constructed from the semantic component 言 (speech) and the phonetic component 危, which historically also contributed a sense of danger or peril. This combination originally pointed to a meaning concerning speech that was deceptive, contentious, or dangerously misleading, aligning with words like "blame" or "perverse" in early classical texts. Over centuries, its semantic field expanded and softened somewhat, moving from a strong association with hazardous falsehoods to encompass broader notions of cunning, trickery, and artful deception. Furthermore, it developed a distinct but related use in describing things that are strange, bizarre, or uncanny, a meaning derived from the sense of something being deliberately misleading or contrary to normal expectation. Thus, the character's evolution reflects a journey from a specific, perilous form of speech to a more generalized lexical vessel for deceit and peculiarity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个地方有点诡异。
他识破了敌人的诡计。
不要用诡辩来逃避问题。
他的行为十分诡秘。
森林里传来诡异的声音。
商人有时很诡诈。
那个诡计最终被揭穿了。
他的笑容里藏着一丝诡谲。