About
The character 羕 is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic component 永 at the bottom, meaning eternity or long duration, and the phonetic component 羊 at the top, which provides the pronunciation "yàng". Its core meaning is "long" or "enduring", derived from 永. It is also used to describe vast, boundless bodies of water, extending the idea of temporal length to spatial expanse. While 羊 independently means "sheep" or "goat", in 羕 it functions solely as a phonetic element, with no connection to animal-related meanings.
Etymology Hide
