Definitions

gǒng precious stone; a county in Sichuan

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a noun denoting a large, valuable piece of jade or an important jade artifact. It is a phono-semantic compound, combining the semantic radical (jade) on the left with the phonetic component on the right. Historically, its meaning has remained tightly focused on large jade items, rarely extending beyond that scope. This structure, a jade radical paired with a phonetic, represents the standard pattern used in classical Chinese to distinguish the many terms for different grades, sizes, and types of precious stones.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern