Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of a stalk of proso millet with drooping ears. The 氺 (water) component was added later to possibly indicate that this specific type of grain is used to brew wine.
About
黍 is an ideogrammic compound and a radical. Its components depict the drooping head of a mature grain plant and its water or roots, visually representing this crop. It specifically designates broomcorn or proso millet, a staple grain in early agrarian societies before rice and wheat became dominant. Beyond its botanical meaning, the character was also used as a basic unit for weight and length, as the size of a millet seed was standardized. It further appears in contexts related to brewing traditional alcoholic beverages, which often relied on this glutinous grain.
Etymology Hide
