About
谳, the simplified form of 讞, is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 讠 (言) means 'speech', and 献 (獻) provides the sound. The character originated in judicial contexts to denote the formal act of pronouncing a verdict, judging a legal case, or deciding its outcome. The speech radical highlights that such decisions were delivered orally by a magistrate or judge, tying the concept of legal judgment to spoken declaration.
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