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The character 碥 (biǎn) is a phono-semantic compound: the stone radical 石 (shí) on the left indicates it is made of stone, while the right component 扁 (biǎn, 'flat') suggests both the pronunciation and the object's flat shape. Historically, it referred to a stone mounting block set near doorways or in courtyards, used as a step to help people mount horses or get into carriages. As horse-drawn transport declined, these blocks disappeared, and the character fell out of use; today it appears only in classical literature and historical records.
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