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泅 is a phono-semantic compound: the water radical 氵 on the left signals a liquid-related meaning, while the right component 囚 (qiú), depicting a person inside an enclosure, meaning "prisoner", gives the pronunciation without affecting the character's sense. It means to swim or float, often in practical contexts, and appears in compounds for water survival, treading water, or crossing a body of water, distinguishing it from more general swimming verbs.
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