About
The character "矸" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the semantic component 石, indicating its relation to stone, and the phonetic component 干, which guides its pronunciation. Etymologically, it initially referred to small stones or gravel in early Chinese lexicons. Over centuries, its meaning narrowed to a technical term in mining, specifically denoting waste rock or gangue that is separated from valuable minerals. The character's structure, with 石 and 干 positioned side by side, has remained unchanged in written form.