CJK Unified Ideograph-7E0A

It means to hang or strangle.

It is an evolved phono-semantic character, not an invented sign: the sources checked on 2026-09-08 record no single inventor. The earliest textual trail verified here is a Spring and Autumn passage about Yijiang, quoted in the 說文解字 tradition; no secure oracle-bone or bronze attestation surfaced in those sources. Its analysis treats 糸 as the cord-related component and 益 as the sound source.

How did 縊 change across languages?

The core action stayed stable; the spelling and register moved.

Chinese dictionaries define 縊 as hanging or strangling. Simplified Chinese writes 缢, while traditional Chinese keeps 縊. Japanese retains 縊 as a hyōgai kanji outside the standard-use list, with い in compounds and native readings くびる and くびれる. That makes it a literary or technical-looking choice in Japanese.

The connected forms are practical ones: 缢 is the simplified counterpart, while 縊死, 自縊, and 縊殺 are established compounds. Their relationship is linguistic, not a claim that every similar-looking character shares the same origin.

Should you send 縊 by itself?

Use it alone only for text, translation, or historical discussion.

In a standalone message, the reader gets the grave verb “hang” or “strangle” without the sentence that would explain it. It can therefore look like a reference to suicide or violence. If you are asking about the character, add its reading or context, such as “縊, yì” or “縊死,” instead of dropping the glyph as a reaction.

Use it in a work or group chat only when the surrounding message makes the linguistic or historical purpose explicit.