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The character 窭, in its traditional form 窶, is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 穴 (cave/hole) on top and the phonetic component 娄 (婁) below. Its core meaning denotes extreme poverty or destitution, linking the idea of hardship to the image of a barren shelter. This character is commonly used in classical literature and formal Chinese, notably in the compound word "贫窭", to emphasize a severe lack of basic material necessities.
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