About
龊 is a phono-semantic compound: the component 足 (foot) conveys the meaning, while 齿 (tooth) indicates the sound. It is the simplified form of 齪, which uses the traditional character 齒 for "tooth". The original meaning referred to teeth that are chattering, crowded, or closely set. This physical image later shifted to an abstract sense of narrow-mindedness, pettiness, or being overly constrained by detail. In modern usage, it most often appears in compound words describing things that are dirty, base, or morally despicable.
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