of great depth

HSK 10

Abstract →Space

ào, yù

オウ、オク

おく.まる、くま

오, 욱

Depicts two hands (廾) hiding rice (米) in a corner or a container. Based on the original meaning "to store". The meaning later shifted to "obscure", "profound", and "mysterious".

Components

◎ characterless component+ 米 rice+ 廾 two hands =

奧 of great depth

◎ Iconic component

characterless component

Depicts a hidden corner or a container.

米 Iconic component

mǐ rice

hulled or husked uncooked rice

Depicts grains of rice. Modern form looks like 釆.

廾 Iconic component

gǒng two hands

Depicts two hands.

Notes

Historical Evolution

Seal

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

奥

Regular

Modern

Chinese

奥 / 奧 [Aò]

Austria; Austrian; abbr. for 奧地利|奥地利[Aòdìlì]; Olympic; Olympics; abbr. for 奧林匹克|奥林匹克[Aòlínpǐkè]

奥 / 奧 [ào]

obscure; mysterious

Japanese

奥おく同音

noun

inner part; interior; back (of a drawer, one's throat, etc.); depths (e.g. of a forest); recesses (e.g. of a cave); heart; end (of a road, garden, etc.)
living quarters (at the back of a house); inner room
recesses (of one's mind); bottom (of one's heart); behind (someone's words); mysteries (of an art)