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趺 serves as both a noun for the instep of the foot and a verb meaning to sit with crossed legs. It is a phono‑semantic compound: the radical 足 (foot) anchors the character in the domain of the foot and lower‑limb postures, while the component 夫 (fū) supplies the pronunciation. Although it straightforwardly denotes an anatomical part, the character is best known for its use in the Buddhist phrase 结跏趺坐 (jiéjiāfūzuò), which describes the full lotus posture of deep meditation. This connection illustrates how a basic podiatric term gains its primary cultural weight within a formal spiritual practice.
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