TSUMUGU · TOCFL 6 (est.) · 字
撓
撓 ＝ 扌 ＋ 堯
ㄋㄠˊ · náo
verb — to scratch; to disturb, hinder; to bend, yield
字源 FORM — what the parts do
扌義a hand — scratching, disturbing
堯聲yáo — gives the sound; heads the 堯 series (繞, 澆, 燒)
I≠堯 yáo → 撓 náo — the old velar-nasal onset (*ng-) splits, surfacing as y- in 堯 and n- here
A hand (扌) plus 堯 (yáo) for the sound — 說文 reads it 擾, to disturb. The hand scratches (搔撓), hinders (阻撓), or bends; what will not bend is 不撓. The sound wandered far: 堯 yáo gave 撓 náo, the same shared onset that splits across the 堯 series (繞, 澆).
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一隻手（扌）伸過去搔——癢處給撓了一下。
A hand (扌) reaches over and scratches — the itch gets a good 撓.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)攪擾、阻撓— to disturb, hinder常用
→搔撓— to scratch常用
→不撓— unbending, unyielding
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
橈ráothe lookalike — 木 not ; an oar, not a hand繞＝ 糸 ＋ ràothe series — to wind around