Definitions
(adjective)
evil; demonic; nefarious
(noun)
unhealthy influences causing disease (in Chinese medicine)
(adjective)
strange; abnormal
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. 牙 represents the sound and ⻏ represents the meaning. Based on the original use as a place name. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
The character "邪" originally functioned as a toponym in early Chinese, its structure combining the component 牙 with the right radical 阝, which derives from 邑 meaning a settlement or region. From this geographical basis, its meaning extended to denote a sense of slant or deviation from a proper standard, a usage evident in classical literature. Over subsequent centuries, the term was increasingly applied in philosophical and medical discourses to signify morally corrupt or unorthodox principles, often directly opposed to 正, thereby solidifying its association with evil and pathogenic influences. While its graphical form has remained consistent, the semantic trajectory of "邪" shifted from a concrete place reference to an abstract conceptualization of aberration and malignity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个人的想法很邪恶。
他认为自己中了邪。
我们要坚决抵制邪教组织。
感冒多由风邪入侵引起。
驱邪仪式并没有实际效果。
那笑容里透着一股邪气。
社会上的歪风邪气必须纠正。
他正邪莫辨的态度让人困惑。