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The phono-semantic compound 赊 (traditional: 賒) conveys the concept of buying or selling on credit, where payment is deferred. Its semantic component, the cowrie shell radical 貝 (simplified: 贝), links the character to commerce and monetary exchange, as cowrie shells were an ancient currency. The phonetic element is 佘. Historically, this character has consistently denoted the extension or receipt of credit in trade, serving as a key term for delayed financial settlements based on trust.
Etymology Hide
