Definitions

zōu to choose; to consult

Etymology

To receive  advice  also provides the pronunciation

About

(zōu, traditional ) is a phono-semantic compound: the speech radical () conveys consulting or seeking advice, and the phonetic (qǔ, 'to receive') supplies the pronunciation while also suggesting the act of receiving. This combination yields the meaning of consulting, deliberating, or gathering opinions through words, typically in formal, official, or classical literary contexts. The character is used almost exclusively in serious written discourse among peers or officials.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern