About
The character "芋", denoting the taro plant, is structured with the grass radical (艹) above the phonetic component "于", a design that classifies it as vegetation and signals its pronunciation. Etymologically, the phonetic "于" was chosen to approximate the character's sound in earlier stages of the language. Its meaning has been consistently specific to taro, as seen in classical agricultural texts, with no major semantic shifts beyond this primary referent. The character's form has always comprised these two components, without a separate traditional version that underwent simplification.
Etymology Hide
