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The character 麸 (fū), meaning "bran" or the outer husk of wheat, is a phono-semantic compound and the simplified form of 麩. Its semantic component 麦 ("wheat") anchors the meaning in cereal grains, while 夫 (fū) supplies the pronunciation. Originally denoting the husks left after milling, the character describes an agricultural byproduct without extended metaphorical senses. This structure pairs the source material with a phonetic guide, a common pattern for naming specific plant or food derivatives.
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