Definitions

to bend; to yield; to exhaust; to stutter

Etymology phono-semantic

speech

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound that combines the speech radical (full form , as seen in the traditional ) with the phonetic element , hinting at both its pronunciation and its original sense of bending or yielding. This physical notion extends metaphorically to verbal situations, where means to be at a loss for words, to stammer, or to be verbally subdued. In classical texts, is also used interchangeably with (qū) for physical bending, submitting to authority, or suffering an unjust grievance.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Warring States (475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern