About
The character 旄 is a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic radical 㫃 (yǎn), depicting a waving flag, and the component 毛 (máo), meaning "hair", which provides both phonetic guidance and semantic input. Originally, it referred specifically to a pennant or military banner adorned with a yak's tail, mounted atop a flagpole. Over time, its meaning broadened to include the yak itself or the tail hair used for such ceremonial decorations. In some classical texts, it also serves as a phonetic loan for "an old person", equivalent to 耄 (mào).
Etymology Hide
