茍

jí

句 + 艹

Definitions

jí urgent

Etymology

About

茍 is often confused with the similar-looking 苟 (gǒu) due to their visual resemblance, but it has a distinct origin and structure. Originally a pictograph of a Qiang person kneeling in respect, it combines 羊 (sheep, identifying the Qiang) with a bent figure 勹 and a mouth 口 , the latter added later under Shang rule when the Qiang were enslaved. This early form conveys earnestness and rigorous self-examination, and it serves as the original component of 敬 (respect). Although now rare, its composition marks a semantic lineage entirely separate from the grass radical 艹 found in near-identical characters.