About
獐 is a phono-semantic compound. The left radical 犭 (animal) provides its semantic category, indicating a mammal. The right component 章 serves as the phonetic element, giving the pronunciation "zhāng", and may also allude to the animal's distinct coat markings. Historically, the character has consistently referred to the water deer, a small East Asian species notable for lacking antlers but having prominent tusks. As its meaning has remained fixed to this specific animal without acquiring extended metaphorical uses, its structural composition and core definition have stayed stable throughout its lexical history.
Etymology Hide
