splashed pattern (on cloth)
絣 centers on a textile pattern where threads are tie-dyed before weaving, creating a blurred, splashed effect on cloth. The meaning is specific to this resist-dyeing technique.
絣 combines 糸 (thread) with 并, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character refers to a specific textile technique, but the exact historical development of the right component is uncertain.
The left side 糸 shows thread, and the right side 并 looks like two strands tied together. Imagine threads bound and dyed before weaving, creating the characteristic splashed pattern of 絣.
For ホウ, picture a bolt of cloth with a splashed pattern being thrown over a hoe (ホウ) in a field. The hoe catches the fabric, and the sound 'hoe' cues ホウ.