About
茁 is a phono-semantic compound with the grass radical 艹 on top, indicating its plant-related meaning, and the component 出 below, which means "to go out" and provides the "zhuó" pronunciation. This structure originally depicted new shoots emerging from the soil. The meaning later extended metaphorically to describe vigorous, healthy growth in animals or people, as seen in the modern word 茁壮 (zhuózhuàng).
Etymology Hide
