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桎梏 (しっこく, shikkoku) Japanese meaning: bonds | Kotomora
じ 字 Furigana
Related words 束そく 縛ばく 束縛 is the common word for restraint or restriction in both physical and abstract senses. 桎梏 is more literary and specifically evokes the image of physical bonds or shackles.
拘こう 束そく 拘束 refers to confinement or detention, often legal or physical. 桎梏 is more archaic and metaphorical, emphasizing the binding itself rather than the state of being confined.
Etymology From Chinese 桎梏 (zhìgù), originally referring to wooden shackles for the feet (桎) and hands (梏). The Japanese reading しっこく is the kan'on pronunciation.
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The prisoner was transported in fetters.
They broke free from the shackles of tradition and sought new forms of expression.