About
The character 茯 is a phono-semantic compound formed by the grass radical 艹, indicating its botanical category, and the phonetic component 伏, which supplies its pronunciation. It entered the written language specifically for the term 茯苓, a name for a fungus used in traditional medicine, and its structure has remained consistent since its adoption. The character's application has been narrowly confined to this context, with no broadening or shift in its core meaning over time.
Etymology Hide
