About
The character 贳 (traditional: 貰) is a phono-semantic compound with the phonetic element 世 atop the semantic radical 贝 (cowrie shell), which links it to wealth, commerce, or currency. Its primary meaning refers to borrowing, renting, or purchasing on credit in historical trade. A secondary legal sense, found in classical texts, denotes granting a pardon or remitting a punishment. Both definitions revolve around deferred transactions, whether postponing financial payment in markets or judicial retribution within a legal framework.
Etymology Hide
