Definitions
not; thereupon
Etymology
About
The character 叵 etymologically derives from the inversion of the character 可, meaning "can" or "possible", to graphically represent the opposite concept of "cannot". Its structure is analyzed in modern terms as consisting of the enclosure radical 匚 and the component 可, a composition that directly reflects this inverted relationship. Historically, 叵 has carried the core meaning of impossibility or negation, evident in classical Chinese usage and enduring in fixed phrases like 居心叵测. While its essential meaning has not shifted, its functional use has narrowed over time, becoming predominantly restricted to such idiomatic expressions rather than appearing as an independent lexical item.
Etymology Hide
