陰 (yīn)
the female principle; dark, shaded; hidden, implicit, secret
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. 今 and 云 represent the sound, while 阝 and 云 represent the meaning.
Shuowen Jiezi
《說文》：“陰，闇也。水之南，山之北也。从，侌聲。”
Components
- 阝 (meaning) — 阝 is a component form of 阜. Depicts hills blocking sunlight.
- 今 (sound)
- 云 (sound, meaning) — Depicts clouds darkening the sky.