About
鲽 (traditional form 鰈) is a phono-semantic compound made up of the fish radical 鱼 and the phonetic 枼. The right-side component 枼 once referred to flat objects, such as leaves, so besides providing the sound, it also subtly evokes flatness. True to this hint, the character denotes flatfish, like flounders and plaice, whose bodies are distinctively flattened and asymmetrical, an adaptation to life on the seafloor.
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