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The character 郦, primarily used as a proper noun, is a phono-semantic compound linked to places and family names. Its traditional form 酈 combines the left phonetic component 麗 (lì) with the right semantic radical 阝, a variant of 邑 meaning "city" or "state". This structure gives it the pronunciation "lì" and its original geographical sense, specifically referring to an ancient location in present-day Henan province. While it began as a toponym for a particular territory, over time its main use evolved to become almost exclusively a Chinese surname, denoting descent from that ancient area.
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