槁

The core concept is desiccation: a loss of moisture leading to brittleness and lack of vitality. This manifests in three primary ranges:

• Botanical/Material: Withered or dead wood; specifically, wood that has become brittle or suitable as fuel (deadwood).
• Physical/Medical: Emaciation; the wasting away of flesh to a skeletal or parchment-like appearance.
• Psychological/Spiritual: Emotional or spiritual exhaustion; a state of apathy, desolation, or being "burnt out."

Primarily functions as an adjective ("dry," "withered") or a stative verb ("to have become desiccated"). Reduplication (槁槁) is used to emphasize a total or pervasive state of vitality-loss.

While both 槁 and 枯 (//kū//) refer to withering, 枯 often refers to the process of drying up or general drought conditions, whereas 槁 leans toward the result: the finality of being brittle and dead.

Use caution when encountering the gloss "rotten." In the context of this glyph, "rot" refers to the crumbling of dry, dead matter rather than moist decomposition or putrefaction. Translators should prioritize senses of brittleness and exhaustion.