About
The character "瘛" is a phono-semantic compound incorporating the semantic radical 疒, denoting illness, and the component 契, which primarily serves a phonetic function. Etymologically, it appeared in early medical texts to specify a condition involving convulsions. Its meaning has consistently related to spasms, as evidenced in the diagnostic term "瘛疭", and its structural form has remained composed of these elements throughout its historical usage.
Etymology Hide
