This logogram is of ideographic origin and it was designed to evoke:

An oven 穴 where lamb 羔 is cooked; 羔 also provides the pronunciation

  • kiln, oven; pit, coal mine yáo
    • cave, den, hole xué
      • roof; house mián
      • eight; all around, all sides
    • lamb gāo
      • fire huǒ

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