About
As a phono-semantic compound, 魃 denotes a mythological drought demon or malicious spirit believed to cause severe dry spells and ruin crops. Its left side features the ghost radical 鬼 (guǐ), placing it within the semantic category of supernatural entities and folklore monsters. The right side contains the phonetic component 犮 (bá), which provides the character's pronunciation. In early texts, this entity was often personified as a bald, destructive figure bringing intense heat, requiring rituals for its expulsion to ensure agricultural survival. Thus, the character specifically combines the supernatural radical with a phonetic element to form a noun for this particular meteorological and mythological phenomenon in historical agricultural communities.
Etymology Hide
