Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of an ancient wind instrument with bamboo pipes.
About
The character 龠 (yuè) functions as both a standalone word and a traditional radical. Originally a pictograph, it depicts an ancient Chinese wind instrument similar to a bamboo flute or panpipe, showing bundled pipes with a mouthpiece and finger holes. It denotes this instrument, used in ceremonies, and later extended to mean a unit of volume. Due to its specialized reference, 龠 appears mostly in historical or musical texts and acts as a semantic component for characters related to flutes and harmony.
Etymology Hide
