About
翦 is a phono-semantic compound with 前 (qián) as its phonetic component and the radical 羽 (yǔ, feathers) as its semantic element, indicating a connection to birds. Its original meaning referred to the act of clipping a bird's wings to prevent flight. This sense of cutting later generalized to mean trimming or snipping, becoming largely synonymous with 剪 (which uses the knife radical). The meaning further extended metaphorically to signify the complete elimination or eradication of enemies.
Etymology Hide
