About
The character 戡, which exists in both traditional and simplified systems as it was not subject to simplification, is structurally composed of the phonetic component 甚 (shèn) and the radical 戈 (gē), denoting a weapon or military action. Etymologically, the character originally conveyed the sense of "to stab" or "to kill", with the component 甚 potentially contributing a sense of excess or extremity to the martial action. Over time, its meaning specialized into the act of using armed force to quell or pacify, specifically "to subdue" or "to suppress", as in suppressing a rebellion, with its usage becoming almost exclusively tied to this context of forceful pacification.
Etymology Hide
