質 (zhì)
essence, nature; material, substance
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. 斦 represents the sound and 貝 represents the meaning.
Shuowen Jiezi
《說文》：“質，以物相贅，从貝，从斦。闕。”
Original meaning
pledge, pawn
Components
- 斦 (sound)
- 貝 (meaning) — In ancient China shells were used as currency.