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啭 (zhuàn), and its traditional counterpart 囀, is a phono-semantic compound created to depict the vocalizations of birds, especially their melodic warbles and rhythmic chirps. The semantic radical is 口 (kǒu) 'mouth', anchoring the meaning in sounds produced vocally. On the right, 转 (zhuǎn) in simplified script or 轉 in traditional serves as the phonetic, meaning 'turn' or 'rotate', and simultaneously evokes the modulating pitch and complex turning notes characteristic of a songbird's melody. It is exclusively employed in literary and descriptive writing about birdsong.
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