About
杼 is a phono-semantic compound, with 木 providing the semantic category of wooden objects and 予 indicating the pronunciation. Its primary meaning is the shuttle of a weaving loom, the wooden tool that carries the weft thread through the warp. The character appears in compounds like '机杼' (loom and shuttle), which metaphorically refers to the structure of a literary work or the inner workings of thought.
Etymology Hide
