About
醅 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 酉 on the left, indicating its connection to wine or alcohol, and the phonetic component 咅 on the right, providing the pronunciation "pēi". The character specifically refers to unfiltered, cloudy wine or fermenting alcohol that still contains its dregs. Its structure clearly marks it as an alcoholic substance, and its meaning denotes an unfinished, rustic stage of brewing. In classical poetry, it often describes homemade, unfiltered village wine, serving as a specific term for this type of beverage rather than a general word for liquids.
Etymology Hide
