Origin

The character 謁 combines the speech radical 言 on the left, which indicates this is a word-related term, with 曷 on the right serving as a sound hint for pronunciation. The meaning of "audience" — specifically a formal meeting to speak with someone of high rank — developed from the core idea of speech or words. Over time, this character became associated with the formal act of gaining an audience or speaking before an important person, where the exchange of words through speech is central to the encounter.