Chinese character 揗

It means rubbing or stroking by hand in older glosses.

The Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese character dictionary, defines 揗 as “rubbing.” It describes the character as 扌, the hand component, plus 盾, used as a sound cue. Later dictionaries also record senses such as following, obeying, or soothing someone by touch.

Why does 揗 mean something different in Cantonese?

Cantonese uses it in phrases for movement, trembling, and panic.

That is a regional usage, not a contradiction: older dictionary glosses focus on rubbing, following, or obedience, while Cantonese word entries record other senses. 揗揗震 means shivering from cold or fear; 揗嚟揗去 means pacing or moving back and forth; 揗雞 describes getting panicky or not knowing what to do. In 揗揗震, repetition suggests ongoing shaking and 震 makes the tremor explicit.

Can I send 揗 by itself?

Only if the recipient already knows which usage you mean.

The older glosses and Cantonese phrases point in different directions, so one glyph alone does not identify your meaning. Use a familiar word when you mean comfort or fear; if quoting an old text or using Cantonese, include the full sentence or phrase.