About
As a phono-semantic compound, 饴 (yí) means sweet syrup or maltose. It is formed by the food radical 饣 on the left, indicating a connection to dietary items, and the phonetic component 台 on the right. Its traditional form, 飴, uses the unsimplified radical 食, while 台 remains unchanged. Historically, the character has referred to viscous sweeteners made from grains, especially malt sugar, and often appears in classical texts describing sweet flavors. It can also extend metaphorically to mean sweet words or indulgent treatment.
Etymology Hide
