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谶 is a phono-semantic compound: the simplified speech radical 讠 (yán, 'speech') on the left signals that the meaning relates to spoken pronouncements or written words, while the right-side component 韱 (xiān) provides the sound. The traditional form is 讖, which uses the full radical 言. It denotes prophecies, omens, or mystical predictions of future events, especially those believed to be determined by destiny. Historically, it appeared in esoteric divination texts and in the interpretation of signs to forecast political fortunes or disasters; today, it refers to predictions or ominous words that later prove true by actual events.
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