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趑 is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic component 走 ('walk, run') with the phonetic 次. Its meaning, 'to hesitate' or 'falter', is evoked by the idea of being unable to place one foot (走) after the other (次). The character almost always appears in the classical compound 趑趄, which describes anxious pacing, timidity, or reluctance to advance, physically or metaphorically. Throughout its literary usage, 趑 consistently captures this sense of impeded movement; it often depicts someone shuffling back and forth, unable to go forward. The character has no separate simplified or traditional form, and its structure remains stable.
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