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The character 赇, simplified from its traditional form 賕, is composed of the radical 贝 (originating from 貝, meaning shell currency or wealth) and the phonetic component 求 (meaning to seek), with the combination historically signifying the seeking of wealth through bribery. Its meaning has consistently referred to the act of giving or receiving bribes, a usage maintained in legal contexts from ancient times to the present. The structural change from 賕 to 赇 involved only the simplification of the radical from 貝 to 贝, leaving the phonetic element 求 intact, thus preserving the character's core etymological association with corrupt transactions.
Etymology Hide
