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The character 莿 is structured with the grass radical 艹 positioned above the component 刺, which functions phonetically and semantically to convey the idea of thorns, thus defining the character as referring to thorny plants. Etymologically, it derives from this combination, where 刺 provides the core concept of sharp prickles applied to botanical contexts. Over time, its meaning has remained specifically associated with vegetation bearing prickles, such as in the term 莿桐, without expanding into other semantic areas. The character's form has maintained this composition without significant structural changes in its standard written representation.
Etymology Hide
