Definitions

dīng earwax

Etymology phono-semantic

ear

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "耵" is a phono-semantic compound incorporating the semantic component "耳" for ear and the phonetic component "丁" indicating its pronunciation, and it has historically been used almost exclusively within the compound "耵聍" to denote earwax. This specialized meaning originated in classical medical texts and has continued without broadening, while the character's structure, with no separate traditional form, has maintained this composition.