獫
dog
Strokes16
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
- レン
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
獫 centers on a dog, specifically a type of hunting dog or a dog used for chasing game. The meaning is narrow and concrete, referring to the animal itself.
Study
Etymology
獫 combines the dog radical 犭 with the phonetic component 僉, which likely contributed the sound. The character originally referred to a long-snouted hunting dog.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 犭 is a dog, and the right side 僉 looks like a person under a roof with two mouths. Imagine a hunting dog with a long snout, barking loudly under a shelter, ready to chase game.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, picture a dog named Ken who is an expert hunting dog: Ken -> ケン, and Ken the dog is always ready to chase.