The story of 鮑

abalone

鮑 is composed of 魚 (fish) and 包 (bag, wrap). 包 is the picture of a fetus being wrapped inside the fetal membrane. The original meaning of 鮑 is salted fish, people make salted fish by wrapping the fish with salt. A fetus wrapped inside the fetal membrane is in the shape of oval, so 鮑 now means abalone, a marine gastropod having an oval-shaped shell.