About
As a phono-semantic compound, 笱 uses the bamboo radical 竹 (zhú) as its semantic component, indicating the material. The bottom component 句 (jù) serves as the phonetic element, providing the pronunciation. The character refers to a traditional fishing basket or trap woven from bamboo, featuring a wide funnel-shaped entrance that narrows inward to let aquatic life in but not out. Due to its specificity, 笱 appears mainly in classical poetry, rural literature, and historical texts about ancient aquaculture, with little metaphorical use in modern language.
Etymology Hide
