About
The character 掇 is a phono-semantic compound with the hand radical 扌 on the left, indicating its connection to manual actions, and the component 叕 on the right, which provides the "duō" pronunciation. Historically, it described the physical acts of picking up, gathering, or plucking with the hands. Although it was once a common verb for collecting items, its use in everyday speech has declined. Today, it appears mainly in compound words like "拾掇" (shíduo), meaning to tidy up or arrange, extending the original sense beyond simple plucking.
Etymology Hide
