Definitions

used in 芣苡[fú yǐ]; see 薏苡[yì yǐ]

Etymology phono-semantic

grass

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 苡 is structured with the grass radical 艹 above the phonetic component 以, reflecting its classification as a plant and providing sound guidance. Historically, it has denoted the Coix plant, most commonly encountered in the compound 薏苡 for Job's tears seeds. Its meaning has been consistently applied to this botanical reference from early usage, without significant expansion or shift in semantic application.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern