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The character 铍, with its traditional form 鈹, is a phonosemantic compound comprising the metal radical 金, simplified to 钅, and the phonetic component 皮. Historically, 鈹 referred to a long spear or a surgical needle, emphasizing its metallic nature. Its meaning later narrowed to designate solely the chemical element beryllium, following the convention where the metal radical categorizes it as a metal and 皮 indicates pronunciation.
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