Definitions

to desire passionately

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is the simplified version of the traditional phonosemantic compound . Its left side is the phonetic , pronounced yú, which gives the character its sound; its right side is the simplified semantic radical , derived from , meaning 'to see'. The meaning centers on coveting or looking upon something with envious desire, often with a malicious undercurrent, and the character occurs almost solely in the compound 觊觎. This visual radical underpins the connection between staring at an object and the urge to wrongfully possess it.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern