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The character "獾", denoting the badger, is simplified from the traditional form "貛" that combines the beast radical 豸 with the phonetic component 雚, while the simplified version replaces 豸 with the animal radical 犭 but keeps 雚 for phonetic indication. This structure aligns with the semantic-phonetic compound model where the radical signals the animal category and 雚 suggests pronunciation. The character's meaning has consistently referred to the badger without expanding to other significations.
Etymology Hide
