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The character 馗 is a phono-semantic compound with the radical 首 (head) providing the meaning and 九 acting as the phonetic component, despite modern pronunciation differences. Historically, it denoted a multi-directional crossroad or intersection, a meaning now seldom used. In contemporary Chinese, it is primarily recognized as a proper noun, famously associated with Zhong Kui, the mythological deity known for vanquishing ghosts and evil spirits.
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