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炷 is a phono-semantic compound: 火 'fire' indicates the meaning, and 主 gives the pronunciation. Originally, 主 was a pictograph of a torch; the fire radical was later added to form 炷, which came to denote the wick of an oil lamp or candle, the part that sustains the flame. The character also developed into a measure word for lit objects, and today it is used almost exclusively to count sticks of incense in religious or ceremonial contexts.
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