About
The character 赝, with traditional forms 贋 or 贗, is a phono-semantic compound. It combines the semantic radical 贝 (貝), representing shell or money, with the phonetic component 雁. Historically, the radical 贝 connects the character to commerce, currency, and valuable goods. The phonetic component 雁 provides the pronunciation. Together, they convey the core meaning of falseness, specifically denoting objects that are counterfeit, fake, or forged, such as antiques or artworks made to deceive buyers by imitating authenticity in material value or origin.