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The character 鼷 (xī) is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic radical 鼠 (shǔ) indicates a rodent, such as a mouse or rat, and the phonetic 奚 (xī) on the right provides the pronunciation. It refers to a minute mouse described in traditional Chinese texts, never as a generic term for rodents. This meaning remained strictly literal, with no metaphorical use, and the character served in historical and literary writing to single out this tiny species when fine distinctions among mice were necessary.
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