About
鲽, with traditional form 鰈, is a phono-semantic compound combining the fish radical 鱼 on the left with the phonetic component 枼 on the right. 枼, historically associated with flat objects like leaves, provides both sound and a subtle semantic hint. The character thus refers to various flatfish, such as flounders or plaice, whose bodies are characteristically flattened and asymmetrical, suited to life on the ocean floor.
Etymology Hide
