About
The character 剞 is a phono-semantic compound, formed from the semantic radical 刀 (dāo), often written as the standing knife radical 刂 on the right, and the phonetic component 奇 (jī), which indicates the pronunciation. It originally referred to a curved carving knife or gouge used in woodworking and engraving, directly linking a cutting tool to its sound marker. The character is best known from the compound 剞劂 (jījué), which denotes the tools for block printing and wood carving, and by extension, the art of publication, connecting it closely to traditional craftsmanship and engraving.
Etymology Hide
