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畿 (jī) is a phono-semantic compound with deep roots in historical geography and political administration, originally designating the royal domain immediately surrounding a capital city. The radical 田 (tián) 'field' provides the semantic link to land and agriculture, while 幾 (jī) marks the pronunciation. In its earliest usage, it referred precisely to the 500-li radius of farmland under the emperor's direct control, a zone that set the core imperial territory apart from the surrounding vassal states. As the specific measurement fell out of use, the term came to denote more broadly the suburbs and environs of any major capital.
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