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馐 (xiū), the simplified version of the traditional character 饈, is a formal noun denoting delicacies, fine food, or a sumptuous feast. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side radical 饣, a simplified form of 食 (shí), the 'food' radical, conveys the general meaning of eating and provisions, while the right-side component 羞 (xiū) supplies the sound. Although 羞 itself now means 'shame' or 'shyness', it functions here purely as a phonetic element. In modern usage, 馐 is seldom seen alone; it almost always appears in the compound 珍馐 (zhēnxiū), which refers to rare and exquisite culinary dishes.
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