About
The character "荼" is composed of the grass radical (艹) above the phonetic component "余", structurally signaling its classification as a plant. Its earliest recorded meanings refer to a bitter edible plant and a white flowering reed used in rituals. By the medieval period, the same character was also employed to denote the beverage tea, leading to a period of semantic overlap. To resolve this ambiguity, a distinct character for tea, "茶", was derived by removing a single horizontal stroke from the lower component "余", thereby allowing "荼" to retain and specialize in its earlier associations with bitterness and toxicity, as evidenced in terms like "荼毒". This etymological shift resulted in a clear functional division between the two forms.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
暴力游戏荼毒儿童。
不良信息荼毒青少年。
院子里的荼蘼花开了。
网络谣言荼毒社会风气。
这种毒素荼毒人体健康。
战争荼毒了无数平民的生活。
那些极端思想荼毒了年轻人的心灵。
尽管有法律法规禁止，这种有害文化依然荼毒着脆弱社区。