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The character 绨 (tí), traditional 綈, denotes a thick, coarse silk with a smooth, glossy finish, historically used for durable robes and outer garments. As a phono-semantic compound, it pairs the silk radical 纟 (mì; traditional 糸) , categorizing it within textiles and silk production , with the phonetic component 弟 (dì). The latter contributes only the sound, not its independent meaning "younger brother". In classical literature, this fabric was prized as a practical, heavy textile for cold weather, contrasting with the sheer, delicate silks reserved for ornament.
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