About
The character "鲞", with its traditional form "鯗", originated to denote dried fish, and its structure in the traditional writing places the component for "sheep" (羊) above that for "fish" (魚), a formation likely based on phonetic borrowing rather than a literal combination of meanings. The simplified form "鲞" retains this basic arrangement with the simplified radical "鱼" for fish. Over time, the term's meaning narrowed from a general reference to dried fish to a more specific application for salted and dried varieties, particularly those made from species like yellow croaker, without expanding significantly to other dried foods.