show, reveal, essay

著 is composed of the radical 艸 (grass) and 者 (this, person). 艸 is a pictograph of grass, while 者 depicts a pile of firewood being used to start a fire for cooking, and from the pile of firewood it extends to the meaning of gathering or accumulation. Grass is small and only becomes easily visible when it grows in clusters. Therefore, 著 is used to mean to reveal, to show, or to manifest.