About
獐 is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 犭 (animal) signals a mammal, and the right component 章 gives the pronunciation "zhāng". Some etymologists suggest that 章, beyond its phonetic role, may also evoke the deer's patterned coat. The character has consistently denoted the water deer (also called river deer), a small East Asian species that has prominent tusks but no antlers. Its meaning never developed extended metaphors, so the character's structure and definition have remained unchanged throughout standard lexical history.
Example Words
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.