Definitions
barley
Etymology
About
麰 is a phono-semantic compound coined to denote barley, a staple cereal in ancient agriculture. Its left side, the radical 麥 (mài) meaning "wheat", categorizes the character among grain crops. The right side, 牟 (móu), serves as the phonetic, supplying the pronunciation without contributing any semantic link to barley. Historically, this character was used in agronomic texts and poetry to distinguish barley from other wheat-like grains. Over time, the common term for barley shifted to a bisyllabic expression, leaving 麰 largely confined to classical literature and specialized botanical works.
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