About
The character 愆 is a compound with the semantic radical 心 (heart/mind) at the bottom and the component 衍 at the top. This upper element, meaning to overflow or spread, suggests an action that exceeds proper boundaries. The character primarily denotes a fault, error, or delay, implying that a mistake is an overflow of improper intentions or a deviation from the correct mental path. The heart radical roots it in human psychology, emphasizing that faults originate within the mind before manifesting as outward actions.
Etymology Hide
