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跸 (bì) and its traditional counterpart 蹕 are phono-semantic compounds tied to imperial authority. They combine the foot radical 足 (zú, 'foot, walking') with the phonetic 毕 or 畢 (bì). Etymologically, the character denotes clearing roads and halting normal traffic to secure an unobstructed path for an emperor's or high-ranking official's entourage. The meaning is thus restricted to imperial processions, and in classical literature it describes the ceremonial stopping of pedestrians or the imposition of curfews during a monarch's journey.
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