About
The character 垠 is a phono-semantic compound. The left-side radical 土 (earth) indicates its meaning relates to land and terrain, while the right component 艮 provides the pronunciation. Etymologically, it refers to the physical limits or boundaries of land, sea, or a vast geographical area. From this concrete origin, the meaning extends metaphorically to describe boundless or limitless spaces, often used in literary contexts to evoke distant horizons.
Etymology Hide
