Origin

This character combines a sound hint with a meaning-bearing part. The right side is a knife or blade radical that signals this character relates to cutting or division. The left side, which looks like a pile or stacked shapes, serves as a sound hint for the character's pronunciation. Together they suggest the idea of what's left over after something has been divided or cut away — in other words, the surplus or remainder. The knife radical helps reinforce the sense of separation or division that creates that leftover amount.