Definitions
(millet)
Etymology
About
The character 秠 is a specialized phono-semantic compound from the classical agricultural lexicon, denoting a unique variety of black millet that bears two grains enclosed in a single husk. Its semantic radical, 禾 (hé, the grain or standing crop), classifies it among cereals, while the right-side phonetic 丕 (pī) provides the sound and none of the meaning 'greatness' that 丕 ordinarily conveys. Because this dual-grained millet was deemed auspicious and used in elite ritual offerings and ceremonial wines, the character occupied a significant place in ancient agronomic and religious literature.
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