About
The character 荮 is a phono-semantic compound meaning to bind or wrap with long grasses or plant materials. Its upper radical 艹 (grass) indicates the botanical nature of the binding material. The lower component 纣 provides the pronunciation 'zhòu', while historically relating to a saddle's crupper, though its role here is chiefly phonetic. It is the simplified form of 葤, which uses the traditional phonetic 紂, yet both versions maintain the same link between plant matter and the action of tying.