梢

Phono-semantic compound:

木 (“tree, wood”) — semantic, indicates relation to trees or branches

肖 (“resemble; small; tip”) — phonetic, gives the sound (shāo / 초)

Originally the character referred specifically to the very ends of tree branches, later extended metaphorically to the “end/tip” of anything long or extended.

《說文解字》 (Shuowen Jiezi):

「梢，杪也。从木，肖聲。」

“梢 means the end of a tree branch (杪). Formed from 木 with 肖 as the phonetic.”

수초 (樹梢) — tree branch tip

지초 (枝梢) — branch tip

말초 (末梢) — extremity, peripheral (as in 말초신경 “peripheral nerve”)

말초신경 (末梢神經) — peripheral nerve

말초혈관 (末梢血管) — peripheral blood vessel

말초부위 (末梢部位) — distal part

Relationship between 梢 and 杪:

Both mean “branch tip.”

杪 is older and more literary.

梢 became the common character from late classical to modern Chinese.

梢 belongs to the 肖 phonetic family, including:

消 (to vanish)

削 (to pare)

俏 (pretty)

宵 (night)

稍 (slightly)

The shared pronunciation patterns (shao / 초) derive from the same Old Chinese root.

Classical citations:

《詩經 · 鄘風 · 相鼠》 (The Book of Songs)

「有杕之杜，其葉湑湑；有杕之梢，其葉萋萋。」

“On the solitary catalpa tree, its leaves are lush; on the tips of its branches, the leaves grow thick.”

(Shows 梢 as “branch tip.”)

《楚辭 · 九章》 (Chu Ci)

「折若木之梢。」

“Breaking off the tips of the Ruo tree.”

Used literally for the topmost shoots.

《韓非子 · 說林下》 (Han Feizi)

「梢末輕重，皆有度數。」

“Even the weight of tips and ends has its proper measure.”

Metaphorical “end portions.”