<p>Here's <em><a href="https://www.outlier-linguistics.com/products/outlier-dictionary-of-chinese-characters" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Outlier</a></em>'s breakdown:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>FORM</strong><br />
羹 is composed of 美 and 羔 “a sheep being barbequed,” which indicate the  original meaning “vegetable or mutton soup cooked in a bronze vessel, like a dǐng (鼎) or lì (鬲).”</p>
<p><strong>COMPONENTS</strong><br />
<strong>羔</strong><br />
In 羹, 羔 “mutton; sheep meat” is a  meaning component, pointing to the  original meaning “vegetable or mutton soup cooked in a bronze vessel, like a dǐng (鼎) or lì (鬲).”<br />
<strong>美</strong><br />
In 羹, 美 is an  empty component. It was originally 鬲 lì “cooking cauldron” and 灬 “fire”.</p>
<p><strong>MEANINGS</strong><br />
gēng<br />
1 (orig.) vegetable or mutton soup cooked in a bronze vessel, like a dǐng (鼎) or lì (鬲)<br />
2 → thick soup</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It doesn't mention the meaning of <em>spoon</em> here but I think the semantic extensions are pretty logical. For instance, in some dialects the expression <strong>调羹儿</strong> or <strong>调羹</strong> exists for spoon, which literally means &quot;[the] [item] [which] stirs(?) (mixes(?)) [the] soup.&quot; Extensions from there are even more far reaching, Southwestern Mandairn has &quot;瓢羹儿&quot; (<em>piao</em> <em>ger</em>) for example which is probably just a corruption on the initial /t‘/ ---&gt; /p‘/.</p>
<p>In Cantonese 匙羹 looks more like &quot;soup spoon,&quot; but again, due to the fluidity of Chinese 羹 has also come to carry the abbreviated meaning of spoon. This is not unsimilar to other southern topolects, like mentioned above.</p>

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2024-08-13T14:25:10.187Z
2024-08-13T14:36:21.280Z
2024-08-13T14:36:21.280Z
Mou某
<p>Cantonese likely uses 羹 more often than Mandarin being associated with the term for &quot;spoon&quot; 匙羹, which is obviously used for soups and broths. But what's the story behind this character 羹? How did a &quot;lamb&quot; that is &quot;pretty&quot; end up becoming the meaning of &quot;broth&quot; and &quot;stew&quot;?</p>

<etymology><glyph-origin>
Glyph origin and etymology of 羹?
# Glyph origin and etymology of 羹?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-13)

Cantonese likely uses 羹 more often than Mandarin being associated with the term for "spoon" 匙羹, which is obviously used for soups and broths. But what's the story behind this character 羹? How did a "lamb" that is "pretty" end up becoming the meaning of "broth" and "stew"?

**Tags:** etymology, glyph-origin


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-13. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Here's *[Outlier](https://www.outlier-linguistics.com/products/outlier-dictionary-of-chinese-characters)*'s breakdown:

> **FORM**  
> 羹 is composed of 美 and 羔 “a sheep being barbequed,” which indicate the  original meaning “vegetable or mutton soup cooked in a bronze vessel, like a dǐng (鼎) or lì (鬲).”
>
> **COMPONENTS**  
> **羔**  
> In 羹, 羔 “mutton; sheep meat” is a  meaning component, pointing to the  original meaning “vegetable or mutton soup cooked in a bronze vessel, like a dǐng (鼎) or lì (鬲).”  
> **美**  
> In 羹, 美 is an  empty component. It was originally 鬲 lì “cooking cauldron” and 灬 “fire”.
>
> **MEANINGS**  
> gēng  
> 1 (orig.) vegetable or mutton soup cooked in a bronze vessel, like a dǐng (鼎) or lì (鬲)  
> 2 → thick soup

It doesn't mention the meaning of *spoon* here but I think the semantic extensions are pretty logical. For instance, in some dialects the expression **调羹儿** or **调羹** exists for spoon, which literally means "[the] [item] [which] stirs(?) (mixes(?)) [the] soup." Extensions from there are even more far reaching, Southwestern Mandairn has "瓢羹儿" (*piao* *ger*) for example which is probably just a corruption on the initial /t‘/ ---> /p‘/.

In Cantonese 匙羹 looks more like "soup spoon," but again, due to the fluidity of Chinese 羹 has also come to carry the abbreviated meaning of spoon. This is not unsimilar to other southern topolects, like mentioned above.


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