Definitions

wěi to shirk; to give excuses

Etymology phono-semantic

speech

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

诿 (traditional ) is a phono-semantic compound that conveys shirking responsibility or shifting blame. The left side is the speech radical, in simplified form, in traditional, indicating that such evasion typically relies on spoken excuses or verbal justifications. On the right, the component serves primarily as a phonetic indicator while also contributing the semantic sense of delegating, abandoning, or casting something aside. Together, speech and casting away aptly depict the verbal act of deflecting blame, a usage found in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern