【析形】形声字。小篆字形从酉(酒),襄声。今简化字作“酿”,从酉,良声。 【释义】《说文》:“酝也。作酒曰酿。”本义是酿酒。古代的酒一般都是黍、秫煮烂后加上酒母酿成的,成酒的过程很短,而且没有经过蒸馏,其所含酒精量远远低于现在一般的酒。由酿酒可引申泛指利用发酵作用酿造蜜、醋、酱等,如[酿蜜];用作名词也指酿造的酒,如[佳酿];又引申比喻逐渐形成,如[酿成大祸]。[酝酿]造酒材料加工后的发酵过程,比喻事前考虑或切磋协商使条件成熟。 【shape analysis】It is the pictophonetic character.In small seal script the part 酉(yǒu,wine)is as an ideogram and 襄(xiāng)as a phonetic sign. 【original meaning】 Making wine. Chinese ancient wine was made by putting yeast into well—cooked millet and sorghum without distillation. The process finished in short time, so with much less alcohol than wine today.