琢磨
zuó mo · HSK 7
to ponder
💎 琢 carve jade + 磨 grind/polish = work a stone smooth, then work an idea over
Both glyphs share the jade/stone radical: 琢 is chiseling jade, 磨 is grinding it down. Applied first to gemstones, then to refining writing, and finally to turning a thought over and over until it is polished smooth.
磨 — stone 石 + hemp 麻 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 石 'stone' gives the meaning (grinding involves stones), while 麻 'hemp' supplies the sound. Originally referred to a millstone or the act of grinding grain, later extending to 'rub, polish, wear down' and figuratively 'to torment' or 'waste time'.