Definitions

hòu used in 邂逅[xiè hòu]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the movement radical gives the semantic category, while (hòu) supplies the sound and originally meant "empress" or "behind". The structure suggests an action involving travel, aligning with its role in 邂逅 (xièhòu), meaning an unexpected encounter. Historically, rarely appears alone; it occurs almost exclusively in this compound to express a serendipitous meeting.

Etymology Hide

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