About
The character 挞, with its traditional form 撻, is structured from a hand radical (扌) denoting manual action and a phonetic component, which is 达 in the simplified form and 達 in the traditional form. Etymologically, it originally referred to the physical act of whipping or flogging as a form of punishment. Over time, its meaning expanded to include metaphorical applications, such as harsh criticism or verbal attack, while retaining its core association with striking. The composition of the character consistently reflects this notion of a hand-delivered blow, with the phonetic element historically guiding its pronunciation.
Etymology Hide
