Origin

This character pictures a hole or opening in a structure. The top component represents a roof or enclosed space, while the bottom component shows something spreading apart or dividing. Together, they suggest an opening or gap in a solid surface — like a hole in a wall or roof, or a cavity you could enter. The visual arrangement makes sense for how the character came to mean hole, cave, den, or any kind of aperture in a solid object.

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