Definitions
catfish
Etymology
About
The character 魸 is a specialized phono-semantic compound used in classical taxonomy for a type of fish, often identified as a variety of catfish. Its structure combines the semantic radical 魚 (yú), which categorizes it as an aquatic vertebrate, with the phonetic component 夬 (guài/kuài) on the right. This pairing of a broad classifying symbol with a specific phonetic marker allows for the precise naming of a species in historical agricultural and zoological records. The phonetic component 夬 dictates pronunciation without contributing semantic meaning, leaving the radical 魚 to convey the creature's biological category.