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狨 is a phono-semantic compound: the left side is the animal radical 犭 (often called the dog radical), indicating a mammal, and the right side is the phonetic 戎 (róng), which means weaponry or military affairs. It was coined for a type of monkey known for its long, golden-yellow hair, recorded in classical Chinese texts as living in western China's mountains and valued for its luxurious pelt. The 犭 radical simply marks it as an animal, while 戎 provides the sound without adding any martial connotation to the name of the golden snub-nosed monkey and similar primates.
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