About
The character "揸" is structured with the hand radical (扌) alongside the phonetic component "查", while its traditional form "摣" pairs the same radical with the phonetic "虘". These characters originally denoted the physical action of spreading the fingers or grasping, with "摣" historically used for clutching or scooping with the hand. The meaning of "揸" subsequently incorporated similar senses of holding and, in regional dialects such as Cantonese, extended to signify the operation or control of mechanisms like vehicles. The substitution of "虘" with "查" represented a phonetic simplification in the character's composition, and its semantic scope widened from literal manual grasping to include figurative instances of managing or steering.