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垴 (nǎo), simplified from 堖, is a phono-semantic compound combining the earth radical 土 on the left, linking it to terrain, soil, and geographical features, with the phonetic 脑 (nǎo, from 腦) on the right, which also hints at a head or top. It denotes a small hill, mound, or piece of elevated ground, and frequently appears as a suffix in place names to indicate high points or localized earthen formations. The simplification reduced the complexity of the right side, while the core structure remains an earth semantic marker paired with a phonetic that evokes a rounded top.
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