Definitions
evil spirit; goblin; witchcraft; variant of 妖[yāo]; common erroneous variant of 祆[xiān] Ormazda
Etymology
About
As a phono-semantic compound, 祅 consists of the semantic radical 示 (altar, spirit) on the left and the phonetic component 夭 on the right. The component 夭 also carries connotations of premature death or calamity, reinforcing the character’s meaning. 祅 originally referred to ominous portents, supernatural disasters, or bizarre events attributed to disruptive spiritual forces. Over time, its meaning broadened to encompass various disasters and evil influences of supernatural origin. The connection to the 示 radical reflects the historical belief that such strange phenomena and worldly calamities resulted from spiritual displeasure or the presence of malevolent entities requiring appeasement.
Etymology Hide
