Definitions

luò brindled ox; tawny, variegated

Etymology phono-semantic

ox

Semantic:

About

, the simplified form of , is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical (ox) at the bottom. In the traditional character, the upper portion consists of two fire elements above a cover , which together abbreviate the phonetic component . The simplification reduces this to the grass radical placed directly over . Originally referring to an ox with conspicuous patches of color, the character's sense of striking visibility extended to abstract uses, now appearing mainly in formal expressions meaning "obvious" or "outstanding".

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern