Definitions
rough, indelicate silk
Etymology
About
絁 (shī) is a phono-semantic compound combining the silk radical 糸 (mì) on the left with the phonetic 施 (shī) on the right. It denotes a coarse, low-grade silk fabric, a utilitarian textile distinct from the luxury silk of the elite. This character emerged to classify the rougher, everyday silks used by ordinary social classes, and it remains firmly embedded in historical material culture. It shows up almost exclusively in classical texts about trade, clothing, and economic goods, serving as a specialized noun with no abstract or extended meanings.
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