歔

Forceful expulsion of air through the nose, appearing in three primary contexts:

1. Physiological: Blowing the nose or clearing the nostrils.

2. Emotional/Affective: A sharp inhalation or exhalation (snuffle, sob, or gasp) associated with grief, irritation, or exertion.

3. Animalistic: The characteristic snorting of an animal.

Verb; primarily intransitive.

Contrast with 嚏 (sneeze): 歔 is generally more controlled or intentional than the involuntary spasmodic reflex of a sneeze. It is closely related to other nasal activities such as 嗅 (to smell) and 唏 (to sob/sigh).

Phono-semantic: the semantic component 月 (肉) indicates bodily function; the phonetic component 朽 provides the sound and suggests an auditory quality of rushing or whistling air.