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缊 is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side radical 纟 (silk) connects it to textiles and fibers, and the right-side element 昷 gives the pronunciation. Its traditional form 縕 retains the same phonetic 昷 while using the full silk radical 糸. The original meaning denotes frayed, tangled hemp and silk fibers used as padding or wadding in winter garments. This later expanded metaphorically to abstract concepts like confusion, chaos, obscurity, or something vague and difficult to untangle, drawing on the image of discarded knotted textile scraps.
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