slander, slow

姍 is composed of 女 (woman) and 冊 (booklet, bamboo slips). 冊 is a pictograph of bamboo slips, which resemble railings in shape. Thus, 姍 describes a woman walking slowly and gracefully, as if obstructed by railings. Additionally, ancient people wrote on bamboo slips, and since women were thought to often gossip about others, 姍 also carries the meaning of slander or defamation.