About
The character "飕", derived from the traditional form "颼", is structured as a phono-semantic compound with the wind radical conveying its semantic field and the component "叟" providing phonetic indication for its pronunciation "sōu". Historically, this character denoted the sound of wind, such as a whistling or whizzing noise, and its usage extended to describe swift motion analogous to wind, like an object moving rapidly through the air. The simplified form "飕" altered the wind radical while retaining the phonetic element, and throughout its development, the character's meanings have consistently centered on these auditory and motional attributes associated with wind.
Etymology Hide
