About
The character 鲠, traditional form 鯁, is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic component is the fish radical 鱼 (or 魚) on the left, with the phonetic element 更 on the right. The original meaning refers to a fishbone stuck in the throat. This literal image of a rigid, unyielding obstacle gave rise to a metaphorical sense: describing a person who is straightforward and honest to the point of being blunt or tactless.
Etymology Hide
