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猕 is a phono-semantic compound and the simplified form of 獼. The radical 犭 (the dog radical, often used for animals) hints at the meaning 'mammal' or 'beast,' while 弥 (derived from 彌) indicates the sound. The character was coined to name the macaque, an Old World monkey native to various parts of Asia. It occasionally appears in words for other primates, but its most common modern use is in 猕猴桃 (kiwi fruit), named because the fruit's fuzzy brown skin was thought to resemble macaque fur.
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