Definitions

é zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria), plant rhizome similar to turmeric

Etymology phono-semantic

grass

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "莪" is composed of the grass radical (艹) positioned above the phonetic element "我", structurally classifying it within the semantic category of plants. Its etymological origin points to a designation for a plant of the Artemisia genus, as seen in early textual references to flora. Over time, the character's usage became more specific, applied in contexts such as "莪术" to identify the medicinal plant Curcuma zedoaria, while its general association with botanical subjects persisted.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern