钑

鈒

jí, sà

及 + 钅

Definitions

jí germanium (old)

sà (literary) small halberd with an iron handle, used as a weapon or agricultural tool; (literary) to inlay; Taiwan pr. [sè]

Etymology

About

钑 is a phono-semantic compound: the left side is the simplified metal radical 钅 (traditional 金), and the right side is the phonetic 及. Historically, it referred to a short spear or similar metallic weapon used in close combat. In addition to this martial sense, 钑 came to mean the engraving, carving, or inlaying of designs into metal surfaces, a practice of skilled metalworkers. Consequently, the metal radical unites both the weapon and the decorative craft under a single metal-oriented meaning.

Related Characters

Component: 及

Component: 钅