Definitions

damp; boggy; marshy

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

As a phono-semantic compound, 洸 (rù) conveys the meaning of wetness or marshy conditions. Its water radical 氵 (shuǐ) on the left indicates a semantic connection to moisture, while the right side, 如 (rú), provides the phonetic component. This character is often found in historical or literary texts describing damp ground or bogs, typically in the compound 沮洳 (jǔrù), which means a marshland. Its structure combines the elemental indicator for water with a common phonetic element to form a specific term for saturated earth, a formation that has remained consistent over time.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern