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碛 (qì), the simplified form of 磧, is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic radical 石 on the left indicates its association with rocks and stone, while the component 责 (traditionally 責) on the right provides its pronunciation. Originally, the term described a stretch of shallow water with a prominent sand or gravel bottom, or a rocky sandbar in a river. In later geographical usage, its meaning expanded to refer to vast, arid expanses of rocky desert or barren gravel plains, especially those in northwestern China, as a specific topographical term for such harsh, stony environments.
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