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镌 (juān), simplified from 鐫, is a phono-semantic compound verb meaning to engrave or carve into hard materials like stone or metal. The left radical 钅 (from 釒, 'metal') points to the metal tools (such as chisels) used for carving, while the right component 隽 (from 雋, juàn) provides the pronunciation. Its meaning then extends from the literal act of incising inscriptions on steles and monuments to a metaphorical sense of deeply embedding memories or instructions in one's mind. This dual sense appears in the term 镌刻 (juānkè), which denotes both physical engraving and profound mental retention.
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