About
The character 笏 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 竹 (zhú, bamboo) at the top and the phonetic component 勿 (wù) at the bottom. It refers to a long, flat tablet made of bamboo, wood, ivory, or jade. During imperial audiences, officials held this tablet horizontally before their chests to record notes, decrees, or reports, functioning as a memo pad. The term is now primarily historical, denoting this administrative tool and the formal protocols of ancient court life.
Etymology Hide
