About
The character 椹 is a phono-semantic compound, with the wood radical 木 (mù) on the left marking its semantic link to wood, trees, and wooden goods. The right-hand element 甚 (shèn) supplies the sound. In its original, literal sense, it designates a heavy wooden chopping block, specifically an executioner's block, a solid piece of timber used for striking or beheading. Additionally, 椹 functions as a variant written form for 葚 (shèn), meaning the edible mulberry fruit. Consequently, the character carries a dual meaning: it can refer to a sturdy wooden tool or to a botanical product, depending entirely on the literary or agricultural context.
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