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The traditional character 鶻 is a phono-semantic compound: the phonetic 骨 (bone) indicates the sound, while the semantic 鳥 (bird) marks the meaning category. Its simplified form, 鹘, replaces the traditional bird radical with 鸟. Originally referring to a kind of pigeon or migratory bird, the character's primary meaning later shifted to various species of falcons or hawks used in hunting.
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