About
莞 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 艹 (grass) and the phonetic component 完 (wán). Its meaning shifts with pronunciation. As guǎn, it denotes a sedge plant used historically for weaving mats. As wǎn, it describes a gentle smile, most commonly in the compound 莞尔 (wǎn'ěr). The plant radical reflects its original botanical sense, while the smiling sense evolved as a literary usage, extending the meaning from a noun to an adjective for emotional expression.
Etymology Hide
