Definitions
worried, apprehensive
Etymology phono-semantic
Phonetic:
兀
About
阢 (wù) is a phono-semantic compound whose original meaning is a towering, steep earthen mound. It combines the semantic component 阜 (the left-side ear radical 阝, meaning a mound, hill, or earthwork) with the phonetic component 兀 (wù). Beyond giving the pronunciation, 兀 also carries the sense of towering or standing alone, reinforcing the image of an unsupported, physically precarious height. Because such steep earthen structures are inherently unstable, the character's meaning extended to describe anything dangerous, unsteady, or precarious.
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