陉

陘

xíng

阝 + 𢀖

Definitions

xíng border the stove; defile; pass

Etymology phono-semantic

hill

Semantic: 阝

About

陉 refers to a steep mountain pass, deep gorge, or narrow defile found between elevated terrains. Its left-side radical 阝 (mound/mountain) indicates the geographical context. In the traditional character 陘, the right-hand component 巠 gave the pronunciation. The simplified form 陉 replaces 巠 with 𢀖, following the same simplification pattern that produced 经 from 經 and 轻 from 輕. This character appears mainly in proper place names and classical descriptions of strategic military choke points or rugged mountain valleys.