舂

Pictographic/compound character:

廾 (two hands held up) – indicates using both hands.

午 (originally a pestle-like tool, later “noon”) – here shows the pounding staff.

臼 (mortar) – represents the mortar where grains or other items are placed.

Together, the image is of a person holding a pestle in both hands and pounding inside a mortar.

The character preserves an old agricultural image tied to food preparation. It illustrates how phonological shifts led to significant differences in Sino-Xenic readings.

Semantic range:

- to pound with a pestle;

- to crush or break apart in a mortar;

- by extension: to press or beat forcefully.