Definitions

kūn steel sword

Etymology phono-semantic

metal

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound character used for metal-related terms. Its semantic component (jīn, "metal") places it in the domain of metallurgy, weaponry, and hardware, while the phonetic component (kūn) gives the sound. In its traditional form , the radical appears as the unsimplified . Historically, the character referred to a specific type of high-quality steel or a wide, double-edged broadsword forged from that metal, the metal classifier combining with the sound element to point to an object defined by its metallic composition.