About
The character "忮" is structurally composed of the heart radical 忄 combined with the component 支, which functions as a phonetic element, forming a phono-semantic compound associated with mental or emotional states. Etymologically, its earliest meanings centered on stubbornness or willfulness, as documented in ancient lexicons, but through subsequent usage in classical texts such as the Analects, the term acquired a more specific sense of envy or malicious intent, marking a semantic shift from a general character trait to a particular emotional disposition. This evolution in meaning occurred without alteration to the character's graphical composition, which continues to rely on its original components.
Etymology Hide
