About
Originally referring to a crepe-like silk textile with a wrinkled surface, 縐 is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic radical 纟 (糸 in traditional 縐) places it within the category of textiles and silk. The phonetic component 刍 (芻 traditionally) suggests the pronunciation while also evoking bundled stalks, hinting at the fabric's textured appearance. The meaning later broadened from the specific fabric to the general characteristic of being wrinkled or creased, extending to describe rumpled clothing, water ripples, or fine lines on skin.
Etymology Hide
