About
The character "匐" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the semantic radical "勹", implying a bent or enclosing posture, and the phonetic component "畐", which supplies its sound. It has historically functioned almost exclusively within the compound "匍匐", a term attested in early texts to denote crawling on hands and knees or prostration. While the graphic form has remained consistent, the meaning of "匐" is entirely dependent on this compound, and it has not developed an independent semantic value outside of this context.
Etymology Hide
