About
The character "絮" possesses an etymology and structure that clearly point to its original, concrete meaning, being composed of the silk radical "糸" combined with the phonetic and semantic component "如", which implies a likeness or state. This construction originally referred to the coarse, wadding-like silk or hemp fibers that could not be spun into thread, a meaning that extended naturally to describe any similar fluffy substance, such as willow catkins or cotton. Over time, the semantic field of "絮" expanded through metaphorical application, moving from the physical quality of the material to abstract human expression; it came to describe speech or writing that is overly detailed, redundant, or endlessly nagging, akin to the tedious, clinging nature of loose fluff. While the traditional form maintains the explicit silk radical, the concept evolved from denoting a tangible, useless byproduct of silk production to encapsulating a verbose and tiresome manner of communication.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
柳絮随风飞舞。
这件被子填满了棉絮。
奶奶总是絮叨个不停。
夜晚的絮语让人宁静。
他的演讲太絮烦了。
空中飘满了白色的柳絮。
她絮絮叨叨地说着往事。
棉絮的质感使得衣物更加舒适。