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狻 is a phono-semantic compound character used to name animals, both real and mythological. Its semantic radical 犭 (quǎn), meaning 'dog' or 'beast', places it in the category of mammals or wild animals. The phonetic element 夋 (qūn) gives the sound. It is most often seen in the compound 狻猊 (suānní), a mythical lion-like beast, or occasionally a real lion in historical texts. This pairing of an animal classifier and a phonetic is the typical way Chinese script names exotic or legendary creatures.
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