About
The character "峋" is a phono-semantic compound, structured with the semantic component "山" (mountain) on the left to indicate its association with terrain, and the phonetic component "旬" on the right to suggest its pronunciation. Historically, it was not commonly used in isolation but appeared almost exclusively in the disyllabic word "嶙峋". This term originally described the jagged, layered, and rugged appearance of mountain rocks or cliffs. Over time, the meaning of "嶙峋" extended metaphorically to describe a person who is bony or emaciated, evoking the image of protruding bones like rocky crags, and further to convey a sense of upright, unyielding character or principle.
Etymology Hide
