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瓤 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic radical 瓜 (gourd, melon) on the left places it in the category of gourds and fruits, while the phonetic 襄 on the right indicates the pronunciation. It originally denoted the soft, edible pulp or flesh inside melons and fruits, as distinguished from the outer rind. The meaning later broadened to include the soft filling or core of other objects, such as the stuffing in a pastry or the inner workings of a mechanism. Throughout these uses, the consistent underlying notion is a soft, enclosed interior substance.
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