About
The character 伉 (kàng) is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic radical 亻 (rén) meaning "person" and the phonetic component 亢 (kàng), which suggests height, rigidity, or overbearingness. This structure originally described a person who was strong, sturdy, or unyielding. The meaning later broadened to indicate an equal or a peer, which in turn led to its common modern usage for a spouse or married couple, as in the term 伉俪 (kànglì).
Etymology Hide
