Origin

The character combines the heart radical on the left, which indicates emotions and inner feelings, with the chestnut tree on the right. The chestnut, with its spiky protective shell, appears to have been chosen as a sound hint for the character's pronunciation. Together, the heart and chestnut form an image of the inner emotion of fear — the way your heart trembles or shakes, much like how chestnuts rattle inside their spiky shells. This shaking or quivering sensation captures both the physical and emotional experience of being afraid.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).