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诟 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic radical 讠 (meaning 'speech') signals a connection to language, and the phonetic 后 indicates the approximate pronunciation. The primary sense refers to the act of aggressively berating, reviling, or publicly disgracing someone through harsh words, it encompasses scolding, denunciation, and the hurling of insults. In classical literature, the character can also denote the shame or public humiliation resulting directly from such verbal attacks. The traditional form 詬 uses the full speech radical 言, while the simplified 诟 employs the abbreviated 讠.
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