(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit; (pa
Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and the right component, which is a pictograph of an axe handle (now written as 柯), represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "sing", now written as 歌. The current meaning "able to" is a phonetic loan.
《說文》：“可，肎也。从口、丂，丂亦聲。”
sing