About
The character 钤, derived from its traditional form 鈐, is a phono-semantic compound. Its left radical 钅 (simplified from 金) indicates the semantic category of metal, while the right component 今 provides the phonetic element. Etymologically, the character originally meant a door latch or lock, reflecting its metallic material and function in securing things. Later, its primary meaning shifted to refer to a seal or official stamp, as well as the act of stamping documents.
Etymology Hide
