踎

Han character

踎 (radical 157 足+7, 14 strokes, cangjie input 口一一火口 (RMMFR), composition ⿰𧾷否)

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲) : semantic 足 (“foot”) + phonetic 否.

Etymology

Cantonese word for "squat":

Guangzhou mɐu⁵³, Conghua mou⁵⁵, Panyu (Shiqiao) mɐu⁵⁵, Zengcheng pɐu⁵⁵, Shunde (Daliang) mɐu⁵³, Zhuhai (Qianshan) pɐu⁵⁵, Kaiping (Chikan) vau³³, Taishan peu³³, Nanhai (Shatou) mɐu⁵⁵, Jiangmen (Baisha) mou²³, Hong Kong (Kam Tin) məu⁵⁵, Macau pɐu⁵⁵.

Etymology not certain. Perhaps a Tai-Kadai substrate word; compare Zhuang maeuq (“to squat”). Others believe this is from 貓 (“cat > to bend; to bend down”), as in colloquial Mandarin 貓腰 (“to bend down”), although this may be less likely due to the semantic mismatch ("squat" and "bend down").

Pronunciation

Definitions

踎

(Cantonese)

1. to squat; to crouch

   踎低，唔准企起身！ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

   Mau¹ dai¹, m⁴ zeon² kei⁵ hei² san¹! [Jyutping]

   Squat down, don't stand up!

2. to be stuck somewhere (because of unfortunate circumstances)

   佢喺監倉踎咗十年。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   佢喺监仓踎咗十年。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   Keoi⁵ hai² gaam¹ cong¹ mau¹ zo² sap⁶ nin⁴. [Jyutping]

   He was stuck in jail for 10 years.

   踎喺屋企睇電視 [Cantonese, trad.]
   踎喺屋企睇电视 [Cantonese, simp.]

   mau¹ hai² uk¹ kei^5-2 tai² din⁶ si⁶ [Jyutping]

   to stay at home all day and watch TV

3. to muddle along; to drift along

Compounds