alas
粤 is a rare kanji whose standalone meaning is unclear. The given gloss "alas" suggests an exclamation of sorrow or regret, but this is a narrow and uncertain sense.
The historical origin of 粤 is uncertain. It may have originally represented a type of ritual vessel or a phonetic loan for an exclamation, but the modern form does not clearly reflect a single well-established etymology.
The enclosure around 米 (rice) with a hook-like bottom 丂 might suggest a container of rice being offered with a sigh: alas, the rice is gone.
For エツ, imagine an ethereal sigh: "eh-tsu" as a soft exclamation of regret, like a breathy "alas".
Yue Chinese (language)