Definitions
tool, weapon
Etymology
Depicts a hand holding a weapon or tool.
About
The character "殳" originated from a pictographic depiction of a hand holding a long, blunt weapon, establishing its early meaning as a specific type of ancient polearm used for striking. In its modern graphical form, it is structurally composed of the components "几" and "又", a configuration that represents a later analytical breakdown rather than the original pictorial intent. Its semantic range evolved from denoting the weapon itself to encompassing the action of striking or beating, leading to its decline as an independent lexical item in common usage. Presently, it serves almost exclusively as a semantic radical in compound characters, imparting connotations related to percussion, violence, or weaponry, as evidenced in characters such as "殺" and "段".
Etymology Hide
