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赭 (zhě) is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 赤 'red' conveys the color meaning, while 者 (zhě) indicates the pronunciation. It denotes a dark reddish-brown pigment or color, known as ochre, derived from natural iron oxide clays. Historically, it referred to the reddish-brown clothing mandated for convicts in ancient penal systems, lending the character a secondary connotation of crime and punishment alongside its primary color sense.
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