According to the Broad Rhymes (Guangyun), pronounced san (rising tone). According to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), pronounced san (rising tone), with the same pronunciation as the word for umbrella. Explanations in the Analytical Dictionary of Characters (Shuowen Jiezi) define it as meaning to separate. The character structure is composed of the radical Strike (pu) and an additional component, representing the meaning of scattering. The Collection of Standard Characters (Zhengzitong) defines it as the stripping of hemp, which is to say, the act of separating.