歺

contributes the sense of bare bones and death · Kangxi radical

contributes the sense of bare bones and death, though in the characters here it works mainly as part of a sound element

歺 is the older, fuller form of 歹: a picture of a cracked or splintered bone left after the flesh is gone. In the modern shape you can still read the little top stroke and slanted line as the broken end of the bone, with the strokes below as the split shaft. In 粟‑less words like 粲 and 餐 it sits at the top left paired with 又 (a hand) to spell out the sound can rather than to add the idea of death, so the bone picture is buried there rather than meaningful.

歺 at a glance

Meaning

contributes the sense of bare bones and death

Strokes

5

Characters

3

Characters with 歺 (2 of 3)

Frequently asked questions