About
The character 碥 (biǎn) is a phono-semantic compound denoting a heavy stone object. Its semantic component, the stone radical 石 (shí), indicates it is carved from rock or masonry. The right component 扁 (biǎn), meaning "flat", provides the pronunciation and suggests the object's shape. Historically, 碥 referred to a stone mounting block placed near doorways or courtyards, used as a step to mount a horse or carriage. As modern transportation made such blocks obsolete, the character is now rare outside of classical texts.