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The character 阏 (traditional form 閼) is a phono-semantic compound: the outer component 门 (gate, suggesting an entrance or barrier) gives the meaning, and the inner component 於 indicates the sound. Pronounced è, it means to block or shut a door, a sense that arises naturally from the gate radical. In the yān reading, it serves as a phonetic loan in ancient historical texts for titles of nomadic peoples, as in Yanzhi, the Xiongnu empress or primary consort.
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