About
The character "芝" is structured as a phono-semantic compound, integrating the grass radical (艹) to signify its botanical associations and the component "之" to supply its phonetic value. Etymologically, it initially referred to a specific kind of fungus or aromatic plant, noted in early texts for its perceived medicinal or aromatic qualities. Over time, the meaning of "芝" expanded beyond this singular reference, becoming embedded in compound terms such as "灵芝" for the ganoderma mushroom and, through phonetic adaptation, forming part of "芝麻" to denote sesame. This evolution reflects a shift from a standalone noun describing a particular plant to a more versatile linguistic element within multi-character words, all while its written form remained unchanged.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
芝麻味道很香。
我买了芝麻酱。
灵芝是一种药材。
芝麻可以榨油。
这种灵芝很珍贵。
芝麻糊是我喜欢的甜品。
在山区里能找到野生灵芝。
芝麻虽然小，但营养丰富。