About
The character for wolf, "狼", has consistently combined semantic and phonetic elements to represent the animal, with its core meaning remaining stable while its conceptual associations shifted. Its structure pairs the "犬" or "beast" radical on the left, classifying it as an animal, with the component "良" on the right, which primarily serves to indicate pronunciation. Some analysis suggests this phonetic element "良", meaning "good", might be a phonetic loan, yet its presence could also reflect an ancient perception of the wolf as a capable or, perhaps in a more nuanced sense, a formidable creature. Over time, the term’s application narrowed from a broader category of wild canids to specifically denote the wolf, with its symbolic connotations in literature and idiom often emphasizing traits of cruelty, ferocity, and cunning, which became culturally embedded interpretations of its nature.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
森林里有一只狼。
狼在晚上嚎叫。
这只狼看起来很凶猛。
我们听到远处狼的叫声。
狼群正在追逐一只鹿。
如果没有狼，生态平衡会被破坏。
那只受伤的狼艰难地寻找食物。
狼的智慧在动物界中是众所周知的。