彭

péng

Proper name (State of Peng, surname); onomatopoeia for booming; phonetic loan for expansion.

Meaning

  • Proper noun: The ancient State of Peng (modern Anhui/Jiangsu) or a surname.
  • Onomatopoeia: A sudden, loud, booming sound, such as the strike of a drum or a rumble.
  • Loan sense: Expansion, swelling, or abundance.

Distinctions

  • In contexts involving ritual, warfare, or thunder, the glyph likely functions as a sonic value rather than a proper name.

History and forms

  • Acts as a phonetic loan for senses later associated with 膨 (expansion/swelling).

Translator notes

  • In Daoist, alchemical, or medical texts, the glyph often alludes to Peng Zu (彭祖), serving as shorthand for extreme old age or longevity.
  • If a proper noun reading creates a syntactic dead end in descriptive contexts—particularly regarding growth or overflowing—consider the "expansive" loan reading.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.