About
The character for "yoke", simplified as "轭" and traditionally as "軛", combines the vehicle radical ("车" or "車") with the component "厄", which serves as both a phonetic indicator and a semantic element implying constraint or adversity. This structure has consistently denoted the wooden harness used for oxen, directly linking its form to its function in animal-drawn transport. Over time, while the character's primary meaning remains the physical yoke, it has extended to figurative uses, representing various forms of binding pressure or oppression in literary and modern contexts.