About
The character 茴 is a phono-semantic compound. The upper radical 艹 (grass) classifies it as a plant. The lower component 回 (huí, "to return") provides the pronunciation, though some scholars suggest it may also hint at the herb's lingering aroma. The character was created to name fennel or aniseed, aromatic plants used in cooking and traditional medicine. Its meaning has remained consistently botanical, most often appearing in the word 茴香 (huíxiāng) for the fennel plant, without developing metaphorical or grammatical functions.