About
The character 簏, composed of the bamboo radical 竹 over 鹿 (deer), etymologically points to objects made from bamboo, with 鹿 acting as a phonetic component. Its traditional form has consistently represented this structure, and the character initially denoted a bamboo box or chest. Over time, the meaning of 簏 widened to refer to boxes and containers in general, and it later acquired the specific sense of a case for documents or a portfolio, illustrating a semantic extension from a material-based definition to one emphasizing function and contents.
Etymology Hide
