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The character 绖 (traditional 絰) is a phono-semantic compound with the thread radical 纟 (semantic) on the left and the phonetic 至 on the right. Its meaning is anchored in traditional Chinese mourning and funerary customs, where it referred specifically to a coarse hempen head- or waistband, an essential piece of attire for mourners to exhibit filial piety during the designated mourning period for close relatives. For centuries, the definition remained narrowly specialized for this ritual cloth, never generalized to ordinary textiles, and the character gradually fell out of use as the strict mourning dress codes themselves became obsolete.
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