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溘 (kè) is a phono-semantic compound used as an adverb: the water radical 氵 (shuǐ) evokes a sudden rush of water, while 盍 (hé) supplies the pronunciation. In classical texts it means "suddenly" or "unexpectedly", often describing abrupt changes of state or sudden death. From its earliest appearances to the present, it has remained confined to literary and formal registers, never entering colloquial speech, and consistently conveys a sense of suddenness or transience in poetry and historical narratives.
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