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帏 (wéi), the simplified form of the traditional 幃, refers to a variety of hanging fabrics such as curtains, bed hangings, room dividers, and the draped fabric sections of tents. It is a typical phono-semantic compound: the radical 巾 (jīn, meaning cloth or towel) provides the semantic idea of woven textiles, while 韦 (wéi, traditional 韋) supplies the sound. Although 韦 originally represented tanned leather or hides when used alone, in this character it is employed purely for its phonetic value, not to imply any leather material in the fabric. In classical Chinese literature, the term denoted privacy screens and bed curtains inside bedchambers, as well as decorative hangings in aristocratic residences and temporary encampments.
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