About
The character 猥 combines the "dog" radical 犭 on the left, which indicates its semantic category, with 畏 (wèi, to fear) on the right as its phonetic component. Its original sense referred to the barking of many dogs or a disorderly gathering of things. Over time, the meaning shifted to denote something petty or contemptible, and it now primarily describes obscene or vulgar behavior, especially of a sexual nature.
Etymology Hide
