喊

A phono-semantic compound:

口 (mouth) — semantic component, indicating speech or vocal action

咸 (ham) — phonetic component, providing pronunciation, originally means “all, complete,” but here functions purely as a sound element.

The combination clearly conveys “a loud vocal action made with the mouth”

Unlike some older shouting-related characters, 喊 does not originate from weapon or ritual imagery; it is a straightforward speech-action character.

함성 (喊聲) — shout; roar; loud cry

고함 (高喊) — loud shout; yelling

외침 (喊叫) — a cry; shout (literary)

함호 (喊呼) — shouting and calling (literary)

Related characters:

叫 — to cry out, call (more general)

呼 — to call, summon (formal or ritual)

吼 — to roar (animal-like, very loud)

鳴 — to sound, ring, cry (non-human emphasis)

Compared to 叫, 喊 feels rougher and stronger.

喊 often implies intentional loudness, not accidental noise.

Frequently used for group shouting, protests, or battlefield scenes.

In Chinese, 喊 can express emotion (anger, excitement, urgency), not just volume.

Classical citations:

The character is rare in pre-Qin classics and appears more often in later literature.

《廣雅》 (Guangya)

「喊，呼也。」

“喊 means to call out.”

《宋書》 (Book of Song Dynasty)

「眾人齊喊，聲震山谷。」

“The crowd shouted together, their voices shaking the valleys.”

These show 喊 as a collective or forceful vocal act.