About
The character "貘" is a phono-semantic compound formed from the beast radical 豸 and the phonetic component 莫, which signals its pronunciation. Historically, this character designated the tapir in Chinese zoological records, and in some medieval texts, it was also applied to a legendary creature thought to consume dreams. The primary meaning continues to be the tapir, with the mythical usage occurring in specific literary or folk contexts.
Etymology Hide
