About
欹 is a phono-semantic compound: the left component 奇 (qí) supplies the pronunciation and its meaning 'unusual' hints at a deviation from the normal, upright position, while the right component 欠 (qiàn), originally a pictograph of a yawning or exhaling person, indicates a physical posture or action. Throughout its historical use, the character's primary meaning has been 'askew, slanting, or leaning to one side,' frequently appearing in classical texts to describe a vessel that tips over when filled with water or a person reclining at a tilted angle. The combination of these elements effectively conveys an unbalanced or inclined state, and this sense has remained stable over centuries.
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