About
The character 龊 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the semantic radical 齿 (teeth) with the phonetic component 足. Its traditional form 齪 uses the character 齒 for teeth alongside the same phonetic element. Originally, it described teeth closely set or chattering. The meaning later extended to metaphorically describe narrow-mindedness or pettiness, and it most commonly appears in compounds conveying dirtiness or moral baseness.