About
The character 柠 (traditional: 檸) is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 木 (mù, wood or tree) classifies it as a woody plant, while the phonetic component 宁 (níng, traditionally 寧) provides the pronunciation. The character specifically denotes the lemon tree and its fruit. It was likely created after lemons were introduced to China, combining the tree radical with a suitable phonetic element to form a botanical term. Its usage is confined to identifying lemons and related citrus plants.
Etymology Hide
