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轹, in its traditional form 轢, is a phono-semantic compound describing the violent act of a wheeled vehicle running over, crushing, or trampling something. The left-side vehicle radical 车 (車) serves as the semantic indicator, pointing to the mechanical instrument of the action, while the right-side phonetic 乐 (樂) gives the pronunciation lì. Historically, the character frequently depicted gruesome battlefield casualties caused by war chariots and severe accidental injuries from heavy wooden carts. Today it survives in the compound 轧轹 (yàlì), referring to intense interpersonal conflict, bullying, or mutual crushing pressure.
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