About
The character 稃 is a phono-semantic compound formed by the grain radical 禾, linking it to crops and cereals, and the phonetic 孚, which indicates its pronunciation. It denotes the outer husks, scales, or bran of grain, the protective casing around the seeds of wheat, rice, and similar cereals. Historically, its usage has remained strictly agricultural, consistently referring to chaff or grain husks. This structure neatly illustrates how the radical provides the semantic category (plant material) while the phonetic specifies the spoken word for that outer shell.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.