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The character 絷 combines the semantic component 糸 (silk, thread, rope) at the bottom with 执 at the top, which indicates the pronunciation and also carries the meaning "to capture". The traditional form 縶 uses the unsimplified 執. Its original meaning is to capture and bind a person, reflecting both the restraining function of ropes and the seizing sense of 执. Historically, it was used for shackling prisoners and tethering horses.
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