Definitions

hàng a ferry; fog; flowing

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phonosemantic compound: the water radical carries the meaning, while gives the sound. The character historically refers to mist, heavy dew, or a vast white vapor, typically describing atmospheric moisture over large bodies of water or in low-lying terrain. It is most familiar from the four-character idiom 沆瀣一气, which originally depicted the blending of evening dew and morning mist, and later came to metaphorically describe people colluding for dubious purposes.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern