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镞 (traditional: 鏃) is a phono-semantic compound rooted in ancient military and hunting vocabulary. The left side, the metal radical 钅 (金), marks it as a metal object, while the right-side phonetic 族 (zú) supplies the pronunciation "zu". The character denotes the sharp metal arrowhead, the lethal striking tip, as distinct from the wooden or bamboo shaft. This structure thus captures the shift from stone and bone projectile points to mass-produced metal arrowheads in organized warfare.
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