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As a phono-semantic compound, 殇 (and its traditional form 殤) uses the radical 歹 (dǎi), which relates to death or a bad end, to indicate its semantic category. The traditional form 昜 serves as the phonetic component on the right, while the simplified version replaces it with the element from 伤 (shāng), providing the sound and a visual link to injury. The core meaning is to die young, before reaching adulthood; it can also extend to dying in battle or any premature death, consistently emphasizing an untimely end.
Etymology Hide
