About
The character "阙" derives from an architectural context where it originally denoted a watchtower or ceremonial tower positioned beside a palace gate, a meaning reflected in its structure through the gate radical, present as "门" in the simplified form and as "門" in the traditional form "闕", alongside components that historically provided phonetic cues. Over time, this concrete reference to a physical structure facilitated a semantic shift toward abstract notions of absence and imperfection, with the character coming to represent a gap or deficiency in classical texts, such as in the term "阙如" meaning lacking or omitted. This transition from describing an architectural feature to expressing conceptual shortcomings maintained an underlying connection to the idea of an opening or void, consistent with its etymological roots.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这座宫殿的城阙非常壮观。
历史记载中这一段暂时阙如。
文件的阙漏需要尽快补上。
面对知识上的阙疑，他决定深入研究。
古代帝王居住在巍峨的宫阙之中。
碑文上的字迹因年代久远而有些阙残。
这份报告的内容详实，几无阙失。
他对古典文献的校勘力求弥补前人的阙误。