About
The character 逡 (qūn) is a phono-semantic compound with the radical 辶 (chuò), indicating movement, and the phonetic component 夋 (qūn), which originally suggested a slow or hesitant gait. It initially described the physical act of retreating or shrinking back, often used in classical texts to depict someone stepping back due to respect or fear. Over time, its meaning broadened to include psychological hesitation or dawdling, though in modern usage it appears mainly in literary compounds such as 逡巡 (qūnxún), meaning to hesitate or hold back.
Etymology Hide
