About
The character 骐, with its traditional form 騏, is structured as a phono-semantic compound where the semantic component 馬 (horse) indicates its category and the phonetic component 其 (qí) suggests its pronunciation. Originally, this character specifically referred to a black horse with blue-black patterns, a type of piebald horse. Its meaning later expanded to denote any fine or exceptional steed, and through literary use, it acquired a metaphorical sense to describe outstanding talent or superior quality. The simplified form 骐 maintains the phonetic element 其 while replacing the semantic radical with 马.
Etymology Hide
