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篌 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the bamboo radical 竹 on top and the phonetic 侯 (hóu) below. The radical categorizes it with objects crafted from bamboo, wood, and similar organic materials, while the phonetic component determines its pronunciation. Without an independent meaning, the character appears almost exclusively as the second half of 箜篌 (kōnghóu), an ancient multi-stringed plucked instrument resembling a harp. Because the instrument was prominent in historical court music, 篌 is strictly limited to musicological contexts describing traditional acoustic instruments and artistic performance.
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