Origin

The character combines the grass radical at the top, which marks the character as relating to plants, with the character 委 below it. The 委 component conveys the idea of something becoming slack or drooping—its own shape suggests a person leaning or bending over. Together, the components paint a picture of a plant that has lost its vigor and is drooping or withering away, much like how a flower hangs its head when it begins to wilt. This combination of "plant" plus "drooping or weakening" directly captures the meaning of withering or becoming lame.