About
The character 缌 (traditional form 緦) is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 纟 (sī), meaning silk or thread, combines with the phonetic component 思 (sī, to think) to indicate a very fine, loosely woven hemp cloth. This fabric was used to make a specific mourning garment worn for a short period of bereavement. In the traditional Chinese mourning system, it names the lightest and shortest of the five mourning grades, prescribed for distant relatives. The character is almost exclusively found in historical texts describing ancient familial rites and funeral customs.
Etymology Hide
