Han character 婎

Its old senses are “ugly” and “self-willed” or “unrestrained.” In the classical compound 姿婎, dictionaries explain the second sense through 恣, meaning self-willed or unrestrained; other entries preserve “ugly.” These are distinct senses, not interchangeable glosses.

If someone sends 婎 alone, do not assume it is an insult: without a phrase or source, the character does not tell you which sense they mean.

Why does 婎 have more than one reading?

Its readings come from different dictionary traditions and lexical connections.

Recognizable 婎 forms are attested in late Shang and the early Spring-and-Autumn period. The later 《说文解字》, an early Chinese character dictionary, analyzes it as 女 (“woman”) plus 隹 (an old bird sign), and records both the 姿婎 gloss and “ugly.”

A commentary reads 姿婎 through 恣 (“self-willed”) and connects it with 恣睢. Dictionaries also connect 婎 with 倠. These are historical lexical links, not proof that every occurrence has the same sense.