About
The character 拊 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the hand radical 扌 on the left with the phonetic component 付 (fù) on the right, to denote an action performed with the hand. It primarily means to pat, stroke, or lightly strike with the palm, a sense often found in classical texts describing comforting gestures or playing percussion instruments. Additionally, it can refer to a handle or grippable part of a vessel or instrument. While related to other hand verbs, 拊 is largely confined to classical and formal literary contexts rather than everyday speech.
Etymology Hide
