About
The character 鬳 is an older structural form representing a type of earthenware or bronze steaming vessel. Its lower component, the radical 鬲, depicts a three-legged cauldron, indicating the semantic category of cooking utensils. The upper component is related to the tiger radical 虍, serving as a phonetic element and possibly suggesting the vessel's shape or decorative motifs. Over time, the character's use became specialized, often appearing as a structural element in more complex characters related to steaming or sacrificial cooking.
Etymology Hide
