undertake, burden, lotus

荷 is composed of the radical of 艸 (grass) and 何 (what). 艸 represents plants, while 何 depicts a person listening to an elder’s instructions, receiving the elder’s approval, and taking on important responsibilities. Therefore, 何 carries the meanings of bearing or shouldering a burden. Later, as 何 developed other meanings, 荷 was used to express this sense. 荷 is also used to refer to a herbaceous aquatic plant whose stalk rises upright from the mud at the bottom of the water, supporting large round leaves and flowers, much like a porter carrying a heavy load.