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A phono-semantic compound, 岫 pairs the mountain radical 山 on the left with the phonetic component 由 on the right. 山 firmly ties the character to mountains, rocky slopes, and landforms, while 由 contributes only its sound. The earliest meaning was a cave, cavern, or deep hollow within a mountain or cliff. Later, through metonymy, the word came to denote a mountain peak or an entire range, especially in classical poetry, where it serves as an evocative, elegant noun for rugged topography.
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