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The character 轫 (rèn), traditional form 軔, is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic radical 车 (車) places it in the category of vehicles, while the phonetic component 刃 (rèn, "blade") indicates its pronunciation. Originally, it referred to the wooden chock placed under a cart's wheels to keep it stationary. Since removing this brake was the essential first step to movement, the character naturally extended to mean the initiation of an action or journey, as seen in the common compound "发轫" (fārèn).
Etymology Hide
