荅

dā, dá

合 + 艹

Definitions

dā to answer; small bean; thick, heavy

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 合 represents the sound. Used as a variant of 答.

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 合

About

The character 荅 (dá) is a phonosemantic compound: the 艹 (cǎo) radical indicates a plant, and 合 (hé) gives the sound while also carrying the meaning "to join". Originally, it designated a small bean or a kind of coarse grass used in agriculture. It later became widely used as a phonetic loan for 答 (dá) "to answer, reply". In classical Chinese, this borrowed sense eclipsed the original plant meaning.