About
The character 湔 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 氵 (shuǐ) on the left indicates the category of liquids or washing, while the right component 前 (qián) provides the pronunciation. Originally, 湔 referred to the action of washing, cleansing, or rinsing with water, often for clothes. Its meaning later extended metaphorically to include abstract purification, such as cleansing oneself of shame, removing a stigma, or redressing an injustice.
Etymology Hide
