About
The character 鞯 is a phono-semantic compound denoting a saddle blanket, the protective pad placed beneath a horse's saddle. Its traditional form, 韉, comprises the leather radical 革 on the left, indicating the animal hide material, and the phonetic component 薦. The simplified form replaces 薦 with the simpler 荐. Due to its specialized meaning, the character is found primarily in classical texts, historical military accounts, and equestrian literature as a technical term for horse tack.
Etymology Hide
