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The character "锴", traditionally written as "鍇", denotes high-quality iron or steel, with its structure comprising the metal radical, represented as "金" in the traditional form and simplified to "钅", combined with the phonetic component "皆" that suggests its pronunciation. Etymologically, the character emerged in classical texts to specify fine metal, and its meaning has continued to reference this type of iron without developing additional senses. The components explicitly link the character to the category of metals while providing a phonetic cue.
Etymology Hide
