About
The character 殁 is a phono-semantic compound. Its left radical, 歹, provides the semantic category of death, decay, or destruction. The right component, 殳, contributes phonetically and structurally. In its traditional form, 歿, the right-hand component was 𠬛, which was later simplified to the current 殳. As a formal or literary term, 殁 means to die, perish, or pass away. It appears in historical texts, obituaries, and solemn contexts, primarily referring to the end of a human life in written language.
Etymology Hide
