About
The character 绌, traditionally written as 絀, is structurally composed of the silk radical 糸 and the component 出, which historically served a phonetic function while also influencing meaning. Originally denoting the concrete action of stitching or sewing, a sense aligned with its radical, the character's application shifted over time to abstractly indicate insufficiency or deficiency, which became its predominant meaning in modern usage.
Etymology Hide
