About
The character "呦" first appeared in classical Chinese texts as an onomatopoeic term, most famously in the "Book of Songs" phrase "呦呦鹿鸣" to imitate the call of a deer. Its structure combines the radical "口", denoting a connection to sound or speech, with the component "幼" which primarily serves as a phonetic indicator. While initially specialized for representing animal cries, the character's usage later broadened to function as a common interjection in everyday language, seen in exclamations like "哎呦" that express sudden emotion or reaction.
Etymology Hide
