Definitions
surname Xi
(literary) what?; where?; why?
Etymology
Depicts a hand holding a rope tied to a slave. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
奚 has a complex etymology, originally depicting a hand gripping a rope used to bind a captive or servant. This visual origin established its primary historical meaning as "slave" or "menial servant". Over time, its structure evolved into the modern form: the claw radical 爫 on top, the thread radical 幺 in the middle, and the large radical 大 at the bottom. Although its initial use was as a noun for enslaved people, classical Chinese literature frequently adopted 奚 as an interrogative pronoun or adverb, using it to ask questions like "why", "how", or "where", a usage entirely detached from its original depiction of bondage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他奚落了同学。
她因奚落他人而道歉。
奚先生是我们的老师。
我不知道他为何奚落我。
避免奚落别人是一种礼貌。
尽管被奚落，他仍然坚持自己的观点。
奚经理在会议上批评了那种奚落同事的行为。
对于这种无端的奚落，我们必须采取严肃的态度。