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躔 is a phono-semantic compound combining the foot radical 足, which indicates stepping, and the phonetic 廛 (chán). Originally it meant simply to tread or step on the ground, but in ancient astronomical texts it was specialized to denote the orbits and movements of celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars. It frequently appears in classical astrology and astronomy for tracking zodiacal progression and seasonal changes, and as a result its use is now largely confined to classical literature and historical scientific records.
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