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莩 is a phono-semantic compound: the grass radical 艹, placed at the top, indicates the meaning, while the phonetic component 孚 below supplies the sound and carries no semantic role. The radical associates the character with plants, and its specific original meaning is the thin inner membrane inside the stems of certain reeds or rushes. Beyond this botanical sense, 莩 developed a distinct usage, usually with a different pronunciation, meaning 'to die of starvation.' This sense appears frequently in classical texts to refer to the corpses of those who perished from famine. In this way, the character bridges a concrete plant part and the devastating human condition of deprivation.
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