摇滚
yáo gǔn · HSK 7
rock 'n' roll
🎸🎵 摇滚 = 摇 (shake/rock) + 滚 (roll) — literally shake + roll = rock 'n' roll
A direct calque: 摇 yáo means to shake or sway, 滚 gǔn means to roll or tumble. Put shake + roll together and you get the music. The same 滚 also gives the to fall off / tumble sense.
摇 — hand 扌 + 䍃 (phonetic, jar/pottery)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the hand radical 扌 gives the meaning of physical motion, while 䍃 (depicting a hand over a jar) supplies the sound. The original sense was to shake or sway something with the hand, later broadened to any swinging or rocking motion.
滚 — water 氵 + 衮 (gǔn, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning 'rolling/gushing water,' while 衮 (gǔn, a ceremonial dragon robe) supplies the sound. Originally it described water boiling or surging, later extended to anything rolling, and as a verb 'get out!'