Zi Collection, Upper Volume, Page 11, Entry 05 Radical: Illness (nè) Pronounced gu (falling tone) From "Tang Yun" and "Ji Yun", it is recorded that the pronunciation of this character is "gu mu qie", with a sound identical to "gu". "Shuowen Jiezi" explains it as a long-lasting illness. It is also used interchangeably with the character "gu". The common variant form is written as "gu". Additionally, from "Yupian", it is recorded that it also refers to sores in the mouths of children.