Definitions
variant of 罌|罂[yīng]
earthen jar with small mouth
Etymology phono-semantic
pottery
Semantic:
缶
About
The character "罂" originates from its traditional form "罌", a phono-semantic compound where the semantic component "缶" indicated a jar and the phonetic component "嬰" provided pronunciation, aligning with its initial meaning as a type of storage vessel. Over time, the character's application narrowed, and it became primarily used in the compound "罂粟" to refer to the opium poppy plant. The simplified form "罂" retains the net radical "罒" and incorporates the simplified phonetic "婴", while omitting the original semantic element "缶", thus modifying the character's structural composition.