Definitions

yán surname Yan

Etymology phono-semantic

gate

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(traditional ) is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical / 'door, gate' with the phonetic component . Historically it functions almost exclusively as a surname, originating as a variant of the homophonous surname , which shares the same radical. The character carries no independent meanings beyond a family name, making it highly specialized in genealogy and personal identification.