Definitions

tuó see 鼉龍|鼍龙[tuó lóng]

Etymology phono-semantic

frog

Semantic:

About

The character "鼍", traditionally written as "鼉", etymologically stems from early depictions of the Chinese alligator, with its traditional form structurally combining a top component that possibly carried phonetic elements and the bottom component "黽" to signify a creature associated with water. The simplified form "鼍" alters this composition to "旦" positioned above "电", representing a graphic reduction for practical use. Over time, the character's meaning has consistently referred to the alligator, with no recorded shifts in its core definition within standard linguistic usage.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern