About
The character "髯" is a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic component "髟", which denotes hair, and the phonetic component "冉", which indicates its pronunciation, etymologically signifying the beard growing on the cheeks. Its meaning has been consistently associated with sideburns or cheek whiskers, distinguishing it from other facial hair terms like "须" for the chin beard and "髭" for the mustache, with no significant semantic shift observed from classical to modern usage. The character's structure has remained unchanged, and its components continue to define both its sound and its specific reference to facial hair.
Example Sentences Hide
他的长髯很黑。
这位老人的美髯很长。
他的虬髯十分引人注目。
画家仔细描绘了老人的髯。
在风中，他的长髯轻轻飘动。
他抚摸着自己的髯，陷入了沉思。
虽然他的髯已花白，但精神矍铄。
那位历史人物的髯在肖像画中显得格外突出。