Definitions

póu to gather, to collect, to assemble; to praise

Etymology phono-semantic

cloth

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound whose semantic radical (clothing) is placed at the bottom, while the upper component provides a phonetic cue. Its earliest meaning was rooted in clothing, later extending to the act of gathering or collecting scattered items. In classical writings, it also denotes reducing a surplus to supplement a deficiency, tracing a conceptual evolution from textile-related terms to abstract accumulation and redistribution.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern