About
The character 龃, in its traditional form 齟, combines the semantic radical 齒 (teeth) with the phonetic component 且. Its simplified form updates the radical to 齿. The original meaning describes uneven or misaligned teeth. This physical concept extended metaphorically to signify disharmony, disagreement, or discord. This abstract sense is most commonly encountered in the compound word '龃龉', meaning a clash or conflict, illustrating how a literal dental irregularity evolved to represent a state of interpersonal friction.