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The character 狯 (traditional form 獪) is a phono-semantic compound that is used solely to express the traits of cunning or slyness. It is formed by combining the dog radical 犭 on the left and the phonetic component 会 on the right; in the traditional script, this phonetic is written 會 and can be pronounced huì or kuài. The dog radical reflects the character's origin in describing the crafty, deceitful behaviour commonly attributed to wild animals such as foxes and wolves in folklore. This meaning later extended to people displaying similar deceit or shrewdness, and today the character is found chiefly in established two-character literary compounds rather than as an independent word.
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