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娑 is a phono-semantic compound formed by placing 沙 (sand) above 女 (woman). The upper component 沙 provides the phonetic cue, while the lower component 女 links the character to femininity, graceful movement, and dance. In practice, 娑 often describes the elegant, swirling motions of a dancer's garments or the soft rustling and swaying of tree branches in the wind. The character also serves as a phonetic loan in Buddhist scriptures, transcribing the Sanskrit word Saha, which designates the realm of endurance and suffering that humans inhabit.
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