撓

A phono-semantic compound:

手 (수) — semantic component, indicating hand action / manipulation

堯 (요) — phonetic component, supplying the sound (요 / yáo)

The core image is something being bent or twisted by the hand, which later extends to figurative obstruction or disturbance.

Semantic development:

- physical bending — to curve or warp

- directional deviation — to turn aside

- interference — to obstruct or harass

- abstract difficulty — to make matters troublesome

撓 appears mainly in formal, literary, and technical contexts.

Common compounds:

굴요 / 굴뇨 (屈撓) — to bend; to be pliant

불요 / 불뇨 (不撓) — unbending; indomitable

가요 (可撓) — bendable; flexible

요란 / 뇨란 (撓亂) — to disturb; to throw into disorder

요적 / 뇨적 (撓敵) — to harass the enemy (classical)

Unlike 曲 (to be bent in shape), 撓 emphasizes active bending or interference.

Related characters (bending & obstruction):

曲 — bent; curved

屈 — to bend; submit

攪 / 搅 — to stir; disturb

妨 — to hinder

阻 — to block

Among these, 撓 combines physical bending with figurative obstruction.

Phonetic note (Korean):

撓 has two accepted Sino-Korean readings, 뇨 and 요.

According to the Korean Language Society (한국어문회):

Historically, both readings coexisted in Joseon-era dictionaries.

In principle, 뇨 is preferred when no fixed reading exists.

In actual usage, 요 is dominant and therefore officially permitted.

Examples showing mixed usage:

가요 (可撓)

굴요 (屈撓)

불요 (不撓)

두뇨 (逗撓)

Practical note:

On Windows IME, the character is usually input with “요”, not “뇨”.