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秫 (shú) denotes glutinous millet or sorghum, grains historically important for both food and fermenting alcoholic beverages. It is a phono-semantic compound: the grain radical 禾 (hé) on the left signals its association with cereal crops, while the component 术 (zhú/shú) on the right hints at the pronunciation. Over time, its meaning narrowed to specify glutinous grains used for brewing liquor, distinguishing them from ordinary staple grains, a distinction recorded in historical texts on farming, brewing, and regional crops across dynasties.
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