The kanji 犠 (ぎ) primarily conveys the meaning of "sacrifice" or "victim." It implies the act of giving up something of value, often life itself, for a greater cause or purpose. This kanji suggests loss, offering, or the suffering endured for the benefit of others or the achievement of a goal. The core idea is about making a costly offering.

・On-yomi (音読み): ギ (gi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): 犠(いけにえ) (ikenie) - meaning "sacrifice" or "victim"

⚫︎犠牲(ぎせい) Translation: sacrifice; victim ⚫︎犠牲者(ぎせいしゃ) Translation: casualty; victim; the killed ⚫︎犠牲を払う(ぎせいをはらう) Translation: to make a sacrifice; to pay the price

The kanji 犠 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). It combines two components: •The radical (部首, bushu) on the left side is 牛(うし)(ushi), meaning "cow" or "cattle," which originally represented the sacrificial animal. •The right side is 義(ぎ)(gi), meaning "righteousness" or "justice," which also contributes its sound to the overall pronunciation. The combination suggests offering a cow (or other livestock) as a sacrifice for righteousness or a higher purpose. Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass sacrifice in general, including human sacrifice or the loss of something valuable. The character's formation reflects the ancient practice of making offerings to the gods or deities.