Definitions
hatch
Etymology
About
The character "菢" means to hatch or brood, as a bird sits on its eggs, and its structure of "艹" (grass) over "包" (to wrap) visually suggests this covering or enclosing action. This form is actually a later specialized derivation, as the character originates from an earlier form "袌", which was composed of "衣" (clothing) and "包" and conveyed the more general sense of to carry or embrace. Over time, the meaning of "袌" branched, with the variant "抱" taking on the primary meaning of to hold or embrace, while "菢" was created with the grass radical to specify the biological act of incubation, thereby narrowing its semantic field.