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The character "莳", whose traditional form is "蒔", is structured with the grass radical 艹 atop the component "時", which provides phonetic guidance and semantic association with time, indicating the seasonal aspect of its original meaning related to transplanting or cultivating plants. Etymologically, it referred specifically to the agricultural practice of planting or repositioning seedlings, such as in rice cultivation, and over centuries its application broadened to include the designation of certain plants like dill, though its core verbal sense of tending to plants has persisted.
Etymology Hide
