About
The character 魍 (wǎng) is a phono-semantic compound. Its left-side radical 鬼 (guǐ) associates it with ghosts or spirits, while the right component 罔 (wǎng) provides the phonetic element. The character appears almost exclusively in the compound 魍魉 (wǎngliǎng), a term from classical Chinese mythology denoting mountain and river demons. Although the phonetic 罔 itself carries meanings of a net or deception, its role here is purely for pronunciation. This specific association with nature spirits has been consistent since early texts and remains its only meaning in modern usage.