About
The character 锾, simplified from 鍰, is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 钅 (metal) indicates the semantic category, while the phonetic component 爰 provides the historical pronunciation. The traditional form uses the full metal radical 金 with the same phonetic element. The metal radical originally linked the character to metallurgy, defining 锾 as an ancient unit of weight for metals. Over time, its meaning broadened to refer to metal currency, coins, and money in general. The structure uses the metal category to ground the definition.
Etymology Hide
