Definitions

huì ditch, trench, irrigation canal; river

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character , whose traditional form is , is a phono-semantic compound: it uses (the water radical) for meaning and (or in traditional script) for sound. Its original meaning is a small irrigation or drainage ditch that runs between agricultural fields, reflecting its role in water management. The character is also used as the name of the Kuai River, a waterway in the Chinese provinces of Henan and Anhui.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern