Definitions
Bagarius, an Asian genus of catfishes
Etymology
About
魾 (pī) is a phono-semantic compound character composed of the fish radical 魚 (yú) and the phonetic element 丕 (pī). The radical places it securely within the domain of fish and aquatic life, while 丕 is a pure phonetic without semantic contribution. Ancient Chinese dictionaries and classical taxonomic works record 魾 as a specific kind of fish, but its exact biological identity is ambiguous: some sources describe it as a flatfish, others as a large marine fish, and yet others as a regional aquatic species. The character never acquired any extended or figurative meanings. Because its real-world referent was never firmly established, 魾 gradually fell into disuse and is now encountered only as a rare lexicographic artifact in comprehensive historical character dictionaries.
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