Definitions

yuān used in 箢箕[yuān jī] and 箢篼[yuān dōu]; Taiwan pr. [wǎn]

Etymology phono-semantic

bamboo

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(yuān) is a phono-semantic compound designating a woven bamboo basket traditionally used to hold garbage, dust, or agricultural materials. The semantic radical (zhú) sits at the top, indicating the basket's bamboo construction. Beneath it, the phonetic (yuǎn) supplies the pronunciation. The character commonly appears in classical compound words for a dustpan or large carrying basket, firmly rooted in domestic and agricultural life. Its structure encapsulates the object it represents by pairing the material radical with a phonetic marker.