How to Write 鄋 (sōu) — Meaning “Sou (ancient tribe name)”

Imagine a wise old man (叟) standing next to a city gate (邑) — this represents the ancient tribe that lived near a particular city. The left part sounds like 'sou' (as in 'soul'), and the right part looks like a little flag on a town.

Pay attention to the left side: the top part is 臼 (jiù, mortar) with a horizontal stroke through it, not 日 (sun). The right side 阝 (the city radical) is written with two strokes: first a left-falling hook, then a vertical line. Make sure the left side is slightly wider than the right.

鄋 (sōu) has a left component 叟 (related to searching) and means an ancient tribe, while 邕 (yōng) has a top component 巛 (river) and bottom 邑, meaning a harmonious or enclosed area. Visually, 鄋 has many strokes on the left, while 邕 has a simple top part.

鄋 is extremely rare and appears only in historical or archaeological contexts, such as in the name 鄋瞒 (Sōumán), an ancient ethnic group mentioned in classical texts. You would not encounter it in daily conversation or modern writing; it is mainly studied by scholars of ancient Chinese history.

Common words containing 鄋 include: 鄋瞒 (sōu mán) — Souman (ancient ethnic group); 鄋人 (sōu rén) — the Sou people; 鄋剔 (sōu tī) — to search and select.