秒

Phono-semantic compound:

禾 (벼 화) — semantic component meaning “grain” or “cereal plant.”

少 (적을 소) — phonetic component, providing the sound miǎo and hinting at the notion of “smallness.”

Together they depict something small and delicate within the context of grain, hence “a tiny sprout” → “minute or fine” → “a second.”

In ancient agrarian China, 禾 signified crops essential for life, and 秒 represented the earliest, most delicate stage of their growth.

The metaphor of minute delicacy naturally evolved to describe very small quantities or brief moments.

During the late Qing and early modern era, when Western science introduced mechanical clocks and astronomical instruments, 秒 was adopted as the Chinese translation for “second”, complementing 分 (minute) and 時 (hour).

Thus, 秒 bridges agricultural imagery and scientific precision, uniting ancient symbolism with modern measurement.