About
As a phono-semantic compound, 杷 combines the semantic radical 木 (wood) on the left with the phonetic component 巴 on the right for its sound. The character has two related meanings: a wooden farming tool like a rake, and the loquat tree when paired in 枇杷. The wood radical fits both senses, as the implement was traditionally made from timber and the loquat is itself a woody plant.
Etymology Hide
