About
The character 鞣 is a phono-semantic compound formed from 革 'leather, animal hide' (the semantic radical) and 柔 'soft, pliable' (the phonetic component, which also suggests the softening action). It means to tan leather, treating raw skins with tannins or other agents to make them soft, durable, and resistant to decay. This transformation, essential in manufacturing, is aptly captured by the union of hide and soft. The character appears almost exclusively in technical terms for leatherworking, such as 鞣制 (tanning) and 鞣革 (tanned leather).
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