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A phono-semantic compound, 邋 pairs the movement radical 辶 (meaning 'walk' or 'move') with the phonetic 巤. In modern Chinese, it is almost exclusively found in the word 邋遢, which describes a person or a space that is slovenly, unkempt, and unclean. The presence of the walking component hints at the character's original sense: it likely referred to an awkward, slouching, or careless way of walking. Over time, the meaning extended from this specific physical clumsiness to general untidiness and poor hygiene.
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