Definitions

zhū a wooden peg, post, or stick

Etymology phono-semantic

wood

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(zhū), simplified from , is a phono-semantic compound originally denoting a small wooden stake used as a marker or signpost. It combines the semantic radical (mù, wood) on the left, indicating the material, with the phonetic component (zhū, pig) providing the sound. The character appears chiefly in the classical compound 楬橥 (jiēzhū), a formal term meaning to mark or reveal publicly, which shifted the sense from a literal peg to the act of declaring or indicating. Though archaic and specialized, retains the core meaning of revealing or marking for clear observation.