Definitions

yīn to bury; to dam, to block up; mound

Etymology phono-semantic

earth

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound combining the earth radical with the phonetic . It originally described using earth to block or dam water, and later broadened to mean obstructing, suppressing, or causing something to fall into obscurity or ruin. Today it often appears in contexts describing history, civilizations, or ancient knowledge that has been buried, blocked out, or forgotten.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern