About
The character 蠲 is built around the 虫 radical, indicating insects, worms, or similar small creatures, and functions as a phono-semantic compound with 蜀 on the right providing the sound, a component that once named a caterpillar. Originally, it referred to a type of millipede or small insect. Over time, its primary meaning shifted drastically to a verb: to cleanse, purify, remit, or exempt from taxes and obligations. This abstract sense overtook the original entomological definition, becoming the standard in legal, administrative, and historical documents on taxation and debt forgiveness.
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