About
钷 (pǒ) is a modern character created for chemical nomenclature, combining the simplified metal radical 钅 (jīn) with the phonetic component 叵 (pǒ). Its traditional form is 鉕, using the full radical 金 (jīn) with the same phonetic element. Invented to denote the element promethium (atomic number 61), it has no ancient etymology. Its structure follows the convention for naming new metallic elements: the radical 钅 signifies the element’s metallic nature, while 叵 approximates the pronunciation of the international name.