芋

yù

于 + 艹

Definitions

yù taro; Colocasia antiquorum; Colocasia esculenta

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 于 represents the sound.

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 于

About

芋 is a phonosemantic compound in which 艹 (cǎo) supplies the meaning "plant" and 于 (yú) provides the sound. It primarily denotes the taro plant (Colocasia esculenta) and its edible starchy corm, a significant cultivated root vegetable. The character is also employed more broadly in compound words for other tuberous and root vegetables, for instance, 洋芋 (potato) and sweet potatoes, thus functioning both as a precise term for taro and a general classifier for starchy roots.