Dong Chinese dictionary

jiá

pods of leguminous plants

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 夾 represents the sound.

Components

艹 Meaning component

cao, cǎo

grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

夾 Sound component

jiā, jiá, jià

be wedged or inserted between, pressed from two sides

Evolution

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

jiá

pods of leguminous plants; pods; pod (botany)

Most common words with 莢

Freq.	Word	Meaning
	荚	pod (botany)
	豆荚	pod (of legumes)
	荚果	seed pod
	皂荚	Chinese honey locust (Gleditsia sinensis)

Sources