About
The character "芄" is structured as a phono-semantic compound with the grass radical (艹) positioned above the phonetic component "丸", linking it semantically to plants while indicating its pronunciation. Etymologically, it has denoted the plant "芄兰", a climbing vine documented in classical Chinese texts, and this botanical reference has constituted its primary meaning. The character's form, comprising these two components, has consistently served this specific purpose in written Chinese.
Etymology Hide
