匪

A phono-semantic compound:

匚 (enclosure; container) — semantic component, suggests confinement or separation

非 (wrong; not) — phonetic component, provides both the sound and the sense of deviation from what is right

The earliest meaning of 匪 is people who stand outside the accepted social order, namely: bandits, rebels, and lawless groups.

These were groups that operated beyond the bounds of legitimate authority, metaphorically “outside the enclosure.”

匪 was also used as a loan character for 非, functioning as a negative particle meaning "not," "is not."

From the sense of wrong or not right, two main semantic branches developed:

- moral deviation → criminal / bandit

- logical negation → “not”

Over time, the bandit / outlaw meaning became dominant in vernacular usage, while the negative particle usage remained mainly classical or literary.

비적 (匪賊) — bandits

토비 (土匪) — local bandits

匪 and 非 are historically connected; 匪 was frequently used as a phonetic substitute for 非.

In modern usage, 匪 is rare as a grammatical negator and primarily denotes criminal or rebel groups.

The character often carries strongly negative moral judgment, implying illegitimacy and disorder.

Related characters:

非 — not; wrong

賊 — thief; traitor

盜 — steal

亂 — chaos; rebellion

寇 — invader; bandit