taste, try, already

嘗 is composed of 尚 (esteem, judge) and 旨 (delicious, purport). 尚 is a pictograph of an ancient tribunal, carrying the meaning of judgment, while 旨 depicts a spoon putting food into the mouth, with its original meaning being delicious. Thus, 嘗 has the meaning of discerning taste, and later the character 嚐 was derived to specifically denote this sense. To distinguish whether the taste of food is good or bad, one must first try it personally, so 嘗 also carries the meaning of "having experienced" or "once."