entries → 撫
TSUMUGU · C1 (est.) · 字
撫 character · C1 (est.)
撫 ＝ 扌 ＋ 無
ㄈㄨˇ · fǔ
verb — to stroke, soothe, comfort

字源 FORM — what the parts do

扌義the hand
無聲wú — a dancer holding ox-tails (the old 舞); gives the soundthe w turned to f, tone too
{b,p,f}ITwú → fǔ — the w hardened toward f, tone shifts
The hand (扌) passes gently over to settle a thing — to stroke, to soothe. 無 wú, the old picture of a dancer with ox-tails, lends only the sound, turned from w to f. So 安撫 calms, 撫慰 consoles, 撫摸 strokes, 撫養 raises a child with a soothing hand.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

一隻手（扌）順著背脊慢慢往下撫，哭聲一點點平了。
A hand (扌) strokes slowly down the back, and the crying quiets bit by bit.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)安撫、撫慰— to soothe, comfort常用
→撫摸、撫琴— to stroke; to play (a string instrument) by hand
⇒撫養— to raise, bring up — to nurture with a steady hand
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
無wúthe phonetic, the bare old dancer — 撫 sets the hand 扌 to it拊fǔthe close kin — same sound, but on 付, to pat, stroke