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The phono-semantic compound 杪 (miǎo) combines the wood radical 木 (mù), signaling a connection to trees and plants, with the element 少 (shǎo). Here, 少 conveys the idea of a tip and also supplies the pronunciation. The character's primary meaning is the very tip, extremity, or slender end of a tree branch. Through metaphorical extension, it denotes the concluding part or final stage of a time period, such as the end of a season or the close of a year. The sense of smallness and tapering inherent in 少 perfectly reflects the physical taper of a branch tip.
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