The 踟蹰 root traces to the Han-dynasty ballad 《陌上桑》: '使君从南来，五马立踟蹰' ('the magistrate came from the south, his five horses stopped, hesitating') — the horses pause, transfixed by the beautiful Luo Fu (罗敷).
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Both 踟 and 蹰 carry the foot radical 足 — picture feet that pace back and forth without stepping forward.
