Definitions
stoat; weasel
Etymology
About
鼪 is a phono-semantic compound combining the radical 鼠 (rodents, mice, and similar small mammals) with the phonetic 生. It denotes a weasel, ferret, or similar small carnivore, set apart from rodents yet grouped under the broad 鼠 radical by early taxonomists. Historically, the character appears in texts about local wildlife, agricultural pests, and fur-bearing animals, reflecting practical human interactions with these mammals. The radical supplies the general category, while the phonetic specifies the exact species.
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