About
埴 (zhí) is a phono-semantic character formed by combining the semantic radical 土 (tǔ, "earth" or "dirt") with the phonetic component 直 (zhí), which indicates the pronunciation. The character means clay, specifically the fine, sticky, malleable earth traditionally gathered by artisans for pottery and ceramics. Its sense stays grounded in the physical qualities of this soil and its long-standing use in craftwork and agriculture.
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