About
The character 谶 is a phono-semantic compound. Its left-side radical 讠 (yán), meaning speech, situates the character in the domain of verbal or written statements. The right-side component 韱 (xiān) provides the phonetic element. In its traditional form, 讖, the radical appears as 言. The character denotes prophecies or omens, particularly those concerning future events believed to be destined. Historically linked to esoteric divination texts, it refers to mystical predictions, often about political fortunes or disasters, that are later confirmed by actual events.
Etymology Hide
