莚

yán

延 + 艹

Definitions

yán bamboo mat; feast, banquet

Etymology

About

A phono-semantic compound, 莚 combines the grass radical 艹 (placed at the top, indicating plant life) with the phonetic 延 (yán), which suggests both sound and a sense of stretching. Historically, the character denoted a bamboo mat or creeping, spreading plants, a natural fit for its components. Now obscure, it is mainly encountered in classical literature and specialized botanical descriptions of woven mats or vine-like growth.

Related Characters

Component: 延

Component: 艹