About
The character "猃", whose traditional form is "獫", structurally incorporates the dog radical 犭 alongside the phonetic component 佥 in its simplified version, corresponding to 僉 in the traditional character. Etymologically, it originally designated a breed of hunting dog recognized for its elongated muzzle. Its usage later became largely historical, as the character now primarily appears in the compound "猃狁", the name of an ancient nomadic group documented in early Chinese texts. The canine radical continues to signal its semantic field, while the phonetic component indicates its pronunciation. Over time, the character's meaning shifted from a concrete zoological term to a specialized historical reference.
Etymology Hide
