Definitions

méi ancient place name

Etymology

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound whose left side, , suggests the pronunciation, and whose right side, the ear radical , classifies it as a place name. It is employed exclusively as a proper noun for Mei County in present-day Shaanxi Province, a historically strategic area frequently cited in classical texts on regional administration and military operations. Designed as a dedicated toponym, the character has no alternative simplified or traditional forms.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern