Definitions
Etymology phono-semantic
wood
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椁, simplified from the traditional 槨, is a phono-semantic compound associated with ancient burial practices. Its structure pairs the wood radical 木, signaling the construction material, with a phonetic element derived from 郭. This character names the outer coffin or burial chamber that surrounds the inner casket, an essential component of the nested coffin system reserved for elites and nobility in ancient Chinese funerary rites. Because the term is so tightly linked to that historical and archaeological context, it is found almost exclusively in historical discussions, archaeological reports, and classical literature on burial structures.
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