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The character 玖 is structured as a phono-semantic compound, incorporating the jade radical 王 alongside the phonetic component 久, which originally defined it as a dark-colored jade. This term later acquired its numerical function through phonetic loan, as it shares the pronunciation "jiǔ" with the digit 九, leading to its adoption as a formal written equivalent for the number nine to ensure clarity in transactions. While its semantic shift rendered the original jade meaning archaic, the character's composition has consistently retained these elements.
Etymology Hide
