About
鞫 is a phono-semantic compound: the leather radical 革 (animal hide, bindings) on the left, and the phonetic 訇 on the right. 訇 contains the speech radical 言, hinting at verbal communication. The character originally meant to interrogate or cross-examine, especially in a judicial context involving thorough investigation of crimes. Over time, the meaning broadened to signify reducing something to its limits or pursuing a matter exhaustively. It remains most common in historical and formal texts about legal trials and strict questioning.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.