鬯

Aromatic ritual liquor infused with fragrant herbs, used specifically for ancestral or high-state sacrifices. As a phonetic loan for 暢, it means unhindered, smooth, flowing, or expansive.

When referring to the ritual liquor, it functions as a noun. When serving as a phonetic loan (暢), it functions as an adjective or verb, often describing the flow of emotion, speech, or water.

Distinct from general alcohol (酒) due to its specific aromatic composition and ritual purpose. The meanings "unhindered" or "smooth" are purely auditory (phonetic loan for 暢) and have no semantic connection to the ritual wine.

In ritual contexts—particularly when appearing alongside bronzes such as the ding (鼎) or gui (簋)—render as "sacrificial wine" or "aromatic wine." In non-ritual contexts involving movement, expression, or flow, treat the glyph as a loan for "unhindered" or "smooth."