笞

chī

台 + 竹

Definitions

chī to whip with bamboo strips

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 台 represents the sound.

Semantic: ⺮ Phonetic: 台

About

笞 is a phonosemantic compound: the bamboo radical ⺮ (竹) at the top suggests a bamboo object, and the phonetic 台 below gives the sound. It originally names a thin bamboo strip or cane used to administer corporal punishment. As a verb, it means to beat or flog with such an instrument, and it was a standard legal punishment across successive imperial dynasties. The severity of the punishment was set by the number of blows with the cane, making 笞 a precise legal term distinct from general words for striking.