Definitions

fèng (literary) gift (of money etc) to a bereaved family; to contribute to funeral expenses

Etymology

About

As a phono-semantic compound, 赑 combines the radical 贝 (meaning shell or currency) on the left, which gives it a semantic connection to wealth and gifts, with the component on the right, which provides its pronunciation. Its traditional form is 賵, using the radical 貝. The character has a specific meaning: a monetary gift, often accompanied by silk or carriages, given to a bereaved family to help with funeral costs. It appears mainly in classical texts describing the detailed funeral rites and mutual aid practices of ancient times.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern