About
The character "嵬" is structured with the semantic component "山" representing mountain positioned above the component "鬼", which initially served a phonetic function while also contributing a sense of the ominous or imposing. Etymologically, the character originally referred specifically to rugged and elevated mountainous terrain, but its meaning gradually expanded to describe more general attributes of height, steepness, and instability. This semantic shift occurred without any alteration to the character's graphical form, which remains as the traditional "嵬" composed of these two elements.
Etymology Hide
