About
The character 铄, meaning to melt or smelt metals, is a phono-semantic compound. Its traditional form 鑠 combines the metal radical 金 on the left, indicating its semantic category, with the phonetic component 樂 on the right. The simplified form 铄 uses the radical 钅 and the component 乐, reducing strokes while preserving the structure. Metaphorically, it extends to describe something brilliantly shining, linking the intense glow of molten metal to general luminosity.
Etymology Hide
