Origin

This character combines the hand radical on the left, which indicates an action or manipulation, with the component on the right that serves as a sound hint for pronunciation. The right part suggests how the character should be read aloud, while the hand radical tells you the action involves grabbing, holding, or taking something. Together, the visual structure conveys the idea of taking hold of something or managing it on someone else's behalf, which led to meanings like "act as a substitute" or "take in and absorb."

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).