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悝 is a phono-semantic compound: the heart radical 忄 signals its connection to emotions and inner states, while the component 里 (lǐ) hints at its pronunciation, which varies by context. In classical texts, this yields two contradictory meanings, when pronounced one way, it conveys deep sorrow, anxiety, and melancholy; pronounced another, it means to mock, ridicule, or laugh at someone. These ancient literary meanings have fallen out of use, and today 悝 appears almost exclusively as a rare formal surname or proper noun, with no role in modern conversation.
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