About
The character 瓴 refers to a concave earthen roofing tile or a deep ceramic water pitcher. It incorporates the radical 瓦, linking it to baked clay objects and architectural materials. The left component 令 serves as the phonetic element, indicating the pronunciation "líng". This character appears in the classical idiom "jian ling", meaning to pour water from a high roof tile, which metaphorically describes holding an overwhelming, unstoppable advantage over an opponent.
Etymology Hide
