Definitions

yǎn black spots on body

Etymology

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound with the phonetic on top and the semantic radical ('black') below. Its traditional form, , retains the same lower radical but uses the more complex phonetic . It primarily denotes a dark mole, spot, or scar on the skin, with the black radical directly conveying the idea of abnormal pigmentation. This economical structure creates a precise term for a dermatological blemish, uniting a sound clue with a visual category.