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羸 is a phono-semantic compound: the sheep radical 羊 in the lower-middle section indicates the semantic category of livestock, while the enclosing component 𣎆 provides the sound. Originally, it described livestock, especially sheep, that were malnourished, exhausted, or ill, resulting in a frail, emaciated appearance. The meaning broadened to any living being, including humans, who are weak, thin, or debilitated. Today it appears in formal or literary contexts to emphasize extreme physical weakness or the debilitating effects of prolonged illness and hardship.
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