Definitions

wēi bay, cove, inlet

Etymology phono-semantic

place

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a character denoting a geographical bend, cove, or recessed corner along riverbanks, coastlines, or in mountainous terrain. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side component (from , 'mound, hill') serves as the semantic radical, categorizing the character under topography and landforms, while the right-side is the phonetic, indicating the pronunciation. Together, they precisely label the concave, sheltered alcoves and winding features created by natural curves in the landscape, thus functioning as a specific noun for such geographical irregularities.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern