kind of otter
獱 refers to a kind of otter. Its meaning is narrow and specific, with no broader conceptual center beyond this animal reference.
獱 combines the animal radical 犭 with 賓, which likely contributes the sound. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it is a phono-semantic compound for a type of otter.
The animal radical 犭 hints at a creature, and 賓 suggests a guest. Imagine an otter visiting as a guest by the river, its sleek body slipping through the water.
For ヘン, picture a hen curiously watching an otter play: hen -> ヘン, and the otter is the animal 獱.
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