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墀 is a phono-semantic compound: the earth radical 土 on the left gives a semantic clue related to ground or architecture, while 犀 on the right suggests the pronunciation. It originally referred to a raised porch, courtyard, or flight of steps leading to a hall or pavilion. In imperial contexts, the term became associated with the red-painted steps of the throne room in the compound 丹墀, and now appears mainly in classical literature, architectural descriptions, and palace poetry.
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