About
帑 is a noun with two distinct pronunciations and meanings. When read as tǎng, it denotes a treasury, public funds, or state storehouse. The character combines 巾, the cloth radical, with 奴 (nú, "servant") above it, evoking the practice of servants keeping records on cloth, textiles often served as both a medium of exchange and a store of wealth. When read as nǔ, it functions as an archaic variant of 孥, meaning a man's wife and children. Thus, a single graphic form accommodates two entirely separate linguistic lineages.
Etymology Hide
Example Words
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.