About
The character "黥" is structured with the radical "黑" meaning black and the component "京" serving primarily a phonetic function, and it historically denoted the specific penal practice of tattooing offenders with indelible ink. Its etymology directly ties the concept of black pigment to the act of marking skin as a form of punishment, and over time the term's usage broadened to encompass tattooing in a general context while still carrying connotations of its judicial origin. The character's form has not been simplified, and its compositional elements continue to reflect this initial meaning through the persistent association of the "black" radical with the dark marks imposed upon the body.
Etymology Hide
