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牦 is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side radical 牛 (ox) establishes a bovine category, while the right-side component 毛 (fur) supplies both meaning and pronunciation. Its traditional form is 犛, where a more complex phonetic element containing 毛 sits above the 牛 radical. This character denotes the yak, a heavily built, long-haired bovine native to the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas. The 毛 component directly reflects the yak's most prominent feature, a dense, shaggy coat that allows it to survive in extreme mountain climates.
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