About
As a phono-semantic compound, 荑 uses the 艹 radical to indicate its botanical nature, while the component 夷 provides the phonetic reading "tí" or "yí". Its core meaning refers to the tender white sprouts of grasses or weeds as they first emerge from the soil. In classical Chinese poetry, such as the Book of Songs, these delicate new shoots become a metaphor for the soft, white, and slender hands of a young woman, linking the character to both plant description and poetic imagery.
Etymology Hide
