About
桡 is a phonosemantic compound: 木 (wood) represents the meaning, and 尧 (yáo) represents the sound. It is the simplified form of 橈, where the traditional phonetic 堯 is replaced by 尧. Originally, the character denoted a wooden oar or paddle for rowing. The meaning later broadened to the act of rowing, and then extended to describe something bent or yielding. This final sense was inspired by the bending of a wooden oar against water resistance, a natural association between the object and its behavior. From a concrete tool, the meaning thus evolved to an action and a physical quality.
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