About
莿 (cì) is a phono-semantic compound formed by the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) on top of 刺 (cì). 刺 gives the pronunciation and the meaning 'thorn' or 'to prick'. The 艹 radical specifies that these thorns belong to the plant kingdom, so the character designates sharp, prickly growths on plants, bushes, and trees. Historically, this distinguished the botanical sense from the broader meaning of 刺, which could refer to any piercing object or action. In contemporary Chinese, however, 刺 is commonly used for all senses, and the specialized 莿 is rarely seen.
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