筭

suàn

弄 + 竹

Definitions

suàn to regard as; to figure

Etymology

About

筭 consists of the bamboo radical 竹 atop the component 弄. It referred originally to bamboo tally sticks, counting rods that served as essential tools for calculation and commerce in ancient times. The bamboo radical appropriately signals the material of these instruments. From this concrete meaning, the usage extended to the abstract actions of calculating, planning, and tallying. 筭 is a historical variant of the more familiar 算, both characters sharing a common origin in early bamboo-based mathematical tools.