About
The character "牦", denoting the yak, developed from the traditional form "氂" which combines the semantic elements "毛" for hair and "牛" for cow, directly referencing the animal's hairy bovine attributes. In its simplified structure, "牦" rearranges these components to place "牛" as the semantic radical and "毛" as the phonetic element, though "毛" continues to imply the characteristic fur. Throughout historical usage, the character has specifically identified this species of cattle, with its meaning anchored in the physical description of the yak from early records onward.
Etymology Hide
