Definitions

Panicum miliaceum

Etymology phono-semantic

grass

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "芑" originates from classical Chinese literature where it identified a white-grained millet, and its construction combines the grass radical with the phonetic element "己" to form a phono-semantic compound. While the character initially denoted this specific millet, its semantic range later broadened to encompass a type of bitter vegetable, yet the written form has consistently maintained this structural composition throughout its history.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern