About
The character 醐 (hú) is a phono-semantic compound. The left radical 酉 (yǒu), a wine vessel, generally indicates alcoholic beverages or fermentation. The right component 胡 (hú) provides the pronunciation. Its primary meaning is an extremely refined, pure form of clarified butter or the richest cream skimmed from milk. Because it signifies the highest level of dairy purity, 醐 appears chiefly in Buddhist texts and specific compounds like tihu, where it metaphorically represents the essence of wisdom, the ultimate truth, or supreme enlightenment.
Etymology Hide
