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The character 秫 (shú) denotes glutinous millet or sorghum, grains historically important for sustenance and brewing. It is a phono-semantic compound: the grain radical 禾 (hé) on the left indicates its semantic category as a cereal crop, while the component 术 (zhú/shú) on the right provides the phonetic element. Over time, its usage narrowed to specify glutinous varieties used for liquor, reflecting a precise agricultural distinction in historical texts on farming and regional crop varieties.
Etymology Hide
