noun, noun, used as a suffix
thick growth; dense patch
Bound form used mainly as a suffix in compounds like 芝生 (しばふ, lawn) or 草生 (くさふ, grassy area). Rarely used independently in modern Japanese.
See also: 芝生
「芝生」の「生」は、草などが密生している場所を表す。
The 生 in 芝生 indicates a place where grass or other plants grow thickly.
古い文書では「草生」と書いて「くさふ」と読むことがある。
In old documents, 草生 is sometimes read as くさふ.
The reading ふ is a native Japanese bound form meaning 'to grow thickly' or 'place of thick growth'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.