粗

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 粗 (cū) is composed of two parts: the radical 糸 (mì) and the phonetic component 卒 (zú). The radical 糸 represents silk or thread, while the phonetic component 卒 originally meant "to walk quickly" or "to run". Together, these two components suggest the idea of something that is rough or coarse, like the texture of raw silk or the movement of a person running.The character 粗 has several meanings in Chinese. It can be used as an adjective to describe something that is rough, coarse, or unrefined, both in terms of physical texture and abstract qualities. For example, it can be used to describe the texture of sandpaper, the quality of a person's manners, or the style of a piece of writing. It can also be used as a verb to mean "to make something rough or coarse" or "to treat someone roughly".The character 粗 has a long history of usage in Chinese, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It is found in many classic Chinese texts, including the Analects of Confucius and the Book of Songs. Over time, the character has acquired a wide range of meanings and nuances, reflecting its versatility and importance in the Chinese language.