Origin

This character combines a shrine or altar symbol on the left, which marks it as relating to religious rituals and blessings, with the character for sheep on the right. The sheep component provides a sound hint for how to pronounce the character, rather than contributing to its meaning. In ancient China, sheep were considered auspicious animals often offered as sacrifices to bring good fortune, so pairing the ritual radical with sheep naturally came to express the idea of something auspicious or blessed. Over time, the character solidified to mean good omens and happiness.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).