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跆 is a phono-semantic compound: the component 足 gives the meaning 'foot' or 'step', and 台 indicates the pronunciation. Originally, the character meant to trample, tread, or kick. Today, it is overwhelmingly known from the word Taekwondo (跆拳道), the Korean martial art renowned for its rapid, high kicks, where it retains the sense of kicking or stomping. This modern usage has largely overshadowed its historical role in classical Chinese as a generic verb for trampling or striking with the foot.
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