Left silk radical, side-form of
糸 - three condensed strands of hanging silk. The indexing element. Original sense was 'loose silk thread,' a slackened cord, from which came 'slow, gradual, to relax' (
缓慢 slow,
缓和 to ease,
缓兵之计 stalling tactic). Family:
紧 (the opposite),
松,
绳.
