Dong Chinese dictionary

kuàng

condition

cold water

Simplified form of 況. Phonosemantic compound. 冫 represents the meaning and 兄 represents the sound.

Components

冫 Meaning component

bīng

ice

氵 is a component form of 水.

冫 hints at the original meaning of 况, "cold water", which is no longer the most common meaning of 况 in modern Mandarin.

兄 Sound component

xiōng

elder brother

况 and 兄 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in older Chinese.况 /*[m̥]aŋ-s/
兄 /*m̥raŋ/

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional script

Modern

Simplified script

Modern

Definitions

kuàng

condition, situation; furthermore; moreover; situation

Most common words with 况

Sources