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The character 窳 is structured with the radical 穴, denoting a cave or hollow, combined with the component 窬, which primarily serves a phonetic function. Etymologically, its early usage centered on concepts of hollowness or emptiness, directly aligning with the semantic cue of its radical. Over time, the meaning expanded from describing physical voids to characterizing things as defective or of poor quality, as seen in derivatives such as 窳劣 for inferiority, marking a transition from tangible description to qualitative assessment.
Etymology Hide
