About
The character 搋 is a phono-semantic compound: the hand radical 扌 (shǒu) suggests a manual action, while the right-side 虒 (sī, an old term for an amphibious beast) provides the sound. It first described the act of kneading dough or vigorously working a pliable substance with the hands, an essential word in culinary and household contexts. Its meaning later broadened to include plunging or unblocking with a specialized tool and the surreptitious act of concealing an object by tucking it inside one's clothes or pocket, showing how a simple hand-related verb can acquire varied meanings from everyday experience.
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