About
The character 魑 (chī) is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 鬼 on the left, placing it among ghosts and spirits, while the right component 禋 (simplified from 離) provides the phonetic cue. It specifically denotes a type of malevolent mountain demon from Chinese mythology, thought to inhabit deep forests and wild places. In modern usage, it rarely appears alone and is most commonly found in the four-character idiom 魑魅魍魉 (chīmèiwǎngliǎng), which refers collectively to various wicked spirits and monsters.
Etymology Hide
