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桁 is a phono-semantic compound: its left-side radical 木 (wood, tree) indicates the material, and its right-side component 行 supplies the sound (háng or héng, depending on dialect or historical context) while also suggesting rows or lines. The original meaning was a purlin, a horizontal wooden beam that runs along a roof to support rafters in traditional Chinese architecture. Over time, the character broadened to cover other wooden structures arranged in rows, such as a large wooden cangue (a penal collar used in historical justice systems) and a pontoon bridge formed from aligned wooden boats.
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