About
泔 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic component, the water radical 氵, classifies it within the category of liquids. Its phonetic component, 甘 (gān), indicates the pronunciation. The character primarily refers to the cloudy, starchy water left after washing rice, and by extension, to liquid kitchen waste or swill. It is most commonly found in the compound 泔水, which specifically denotes this type of domestic slop, often used for feeding livestock. This demonstrates how the script uses a core water radical to create precise vocabulary for distinct household liquids.
Etymology Hide
