About
The character 刳 is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic radical 刂 (knife) on the right and the phonetic component 夸 (kuā) on the left. The 刂 radical, a variant of 刀, indicates an action involving cutting or using a blade. The phonetic element 夸 provides the pronunciation "kū" and historically carries connotations of splitting or spreading. Etymologically, 刳 denotes the physical action of cutting open, hollowing out, or scooping out the interior of an object, such as carving wood to make a boat or removing an animal's organs. It is primarily found in classical texts describing such carving or hollowing actions.
Etymology Hide
