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weeds
Etymology
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葍 is a phono-semantic compound character: the upper component, the plant radical 艹, marks it as belonging to the botanical realm, while the lower component 畐 serves as the phonetic. It was coined to name a specific creeping weed that spreads vine-like across fields. Modern botanists identify this plant as a species of bindweed or morning glory. Attested in ancient agricultural and poetic texts such as the Classic of Poetry, the plant was considered an invasive weed, yet its roots were gathered and eaten in times of famine. The combination of the semantic signifier and the phonetic element allowed scribes to distinguish this vine from many other plants recorded in classical Chinese literature.
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