About
As a phono-semantic compound, 杓 combines the semantic radical 木 (wood), indicating its material origin, with the phonetic component 勺, which also suggests the meaning of a spoon or ladle. Its primary etymological sense is a wooden spoon or ladle. The character also carries a specialized astronomical meaning, referring to the handle of the Big Dipper, linking the constellation's shape to that of a physical ladle. Its semantic scope thus spans domestic utensils and celestial terminology.
Etymology Hide
