Definitions

yeast; wine; to leaven, to ferment

Etymology phono-semantic

wine

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical (yǒu), a wine vessel that by extension signifies alcohol or fermentation, with the phonetic component (yú). Its primary meaning is yeast, barm, or a specific type of unfiltered, twice-fermented liquor. The character appears most often in classical poetry and brewing texts, and in the botanical term 酴醾 (túmí), the blackberry rose whose blossoms were historically used to flavor wine. Its usage remains closely tied to traditional brewing and specific historical alcoholic preparations.

Etymology Hide

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