Definitions

pat

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound composed of the hand radical on the left and the phonetic (fù) on the right. Its primary verbal meaning is to pat, stroke, or lightly strike something with the palm of the hand. In classical texts, it often describes comforting gestures or the playing of percussion instruments. As a noun, it refers to the handle or the part of a vessel or instrument intended to be gripped. Though similar to other hand-related verbs, is mostly restricted to classical and formal literary usage, rarely appearing in spoken language.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern