TSUMUGU · B2 (est.) · 字
掏
掏 ＝ 扌 ＋ 匋
ㄊㄠ · tāo
verb — to pull out, fish out (from a pocket, hole)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
扌義the hand
匋聲táo — a kiln (缶) under a bent figure (勹), pottery; gives the soundthe tone eases
Ttáo → tāo — same family, the tone flattens
The hand (扌) reaches in and brings a thing up — to fish out. 匋 táo, the potter bent over the kiln, carries the sound with the tone eased. So 掏錢 fishes out money, 掏空 hollows a thing, 掏腰包 pays from one's own pocket.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
手（扌）探進口袋深處，摸了半天，把那樣東西掏出來。
The hand (扌) reaches deep into the pocket, gropes a while, and fishes the thing out.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)掏出、掏錢— to fish out, pull out常用
→掏空、掏腰包— to hollow out; to pay from one's pocket
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension