About
Originally, the character 攴 was a compound ideogram depicting a hand (又) holding a hitting implement, such as a whip or a staff, visually representing the action of striking or tapping lightly. Over time, the implement was reanalyzed as the sound component 卜. Though it survives as an independent character in classical texts with the meaning 'to rap or strike lightly,' its primary importance lies in its role as a fundamental semantic radical within the Chinese writing system. When serving as a radical, it is frequently transformed into the structural variant 攵 and placed on the right side of other characters to indicate that the overall meaning of the new character involves an action utilizing the hands, physical effort, or the wielding of a tool.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.