猥

wěi

犭 + 畏

Definitions

wěi humble; rustic; plentiful

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 犭 represents the meaning and 畏 represents the sound.

Semantic: 犭 Phonetic: 畏

About

猥 is a phonosemantic compound: the left-side radical 犭 ('dog') indicates the general meaning, while 畏 (wèi) on the right supplies the sound. The character originally denoted the barking of many dogs or a disorderly jumble of things. Over time, the meaning shifted to describe something base or contemptible, and it eventually came to be used primarily for indecent or lewd conduct, often with sexual connotations.