U+739B "玛" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character

U+739B "玛" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character that primarily functions as a phonetic component in the transliteration of foreign names and terms, most notably in the word "玛瑙" (mǎ nǎo), meaning agate, where it contributes to the sound rather than carrying a specific semantic meaning. It is composed of the radical 王 (jade or king) on the left and the phonetic element 马 (horse) on the right, suggesting a connection to precious materials through its radical while serving as a common building block in modern Mandarin for sounds like "ma." This character appears frequently in religious and cultural contexts, such as in "玛利亚" (Mǎ lì yà) for Mary, and in geographical names like "玛雅" (Mǎ yǎ) for Maya, making it an essential part of Chinese writing for representing foreign concepts and terms.