About
The character 鼩 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 鼠 on the left indicates a meaning related to rodents or similar small mammals. The component 句 on the right serves as the phonetic element, providing the character's pronunciation. Together, they form a specific term for the shrew, an insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse. This structure illustrates how the writing system combines a general biological classifier with a phonetic marker to create precise zoological vocabulary.
Etymology Hide
