Definitions
wrinkled face of the elderly
Etymology
About
Formed as a phono-semantic compound, 耇 places a variant of the semantic radical 老 (old, aged) atop the phonetic component 句, which provides the pronunciation "gǒu". Its meaning aligns directly with the semantic root, referring to advanced age, the elderly, or venerable longevity. Historically, it often combined with other characters for old age in classical texts to describe esteemed elders or the physical traits of extreme age, such as a weathered appearance. Within this character, the component 句, meaning a phrase or sentence when standalone, serves purely as a sound indicator, contributing no additional meaning to the concept of aging.
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