Definitions

sōu to engrave (metal of wood)

Etymology phono-semantic

metal

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 锼 is a phono-semantic compound with the metal radical 钅 on the left, indicating a connection to metallic tools, and the component 叟 on the right, providing its phonetic value. Its traditional form, 鎪, uses the full metal radical 釒. The character fundamentally means to engrave, carve, or cut into a material, specifically with a metal saw or similar cutting tool. Its meaning is derived from the semantic radical, while its pronunciation comes from the phonetic component, following a standard structure for verbs describing actions performed with solid physical tools.