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纾 (shū, traditional 紓) is a phono-semantic compound: the left side 纟, simplified from the silk radical 糸, conveys the semantic domain of thread, while the right side 予 (yǔ) supplies the pronunciation and also means "to give" or "to grant". Originally, the character referred to physically loosening silk threads, but its meaning later broadened to relieving distress, relaxing tension, or delaying a pressing situation, extensions that naturally align with the idea of granting slack or giving a reprieve inherent in 予.
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