Definitions
Etymology
About
鳒 is a phono-semantic compound denoting a flatfish, such as flounder or halibut. It combines the semantic radical 鱼 (yú, 'fish'), marking it as an aquatic animal, with the phonetic component 兼 (jiān, meaning 'double' or 'to hold two things simultaneously'), which indicates its pronunciation. The traditional form 鰜 employs the unsimplified fish radical 魚 and retains the same phonetic. The etymology reflects the flatfish's distinctive feature of having both eyes on one side of its head, echoing the concept of two things being paired or merged inherent in 兼.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.