About
楫 (jí) is a phono-semantic compound: the wood radical 木 on the left indicates a wooden object, while the right-hand component 咠 (qì) provides the sound. Its primary meaning is a wooden oar or paddle used to propel and steer a boat. Through synecdoche in classical literature, it came to represent the entire boat or the act of rowing, becoming a common poetic substitute for boats and maritime travel in historical Chinese texts.
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