[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Animals # 猴 hóu monkey ## Components [[犭 (quǎn)]] [[亻(rén)]] [[矢 shǐ]] [[矢 (shǐ)]] [[匚 (fāng)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character "猴" primarily means: 1. **Monkey**: It refers specifically to monkeys, particularly macaques, and is often used to describe various species of monkeys in general. 2. **Cunning or clever person**: Metaphorically, it can describe a person who is clever, sly, or tricky, similar to the idiom "猴精," which refers to someone who is crafty. 3. **Agile or nimble**: In some contexts, it can describe someone who is quick or agile, akin to how monkeys move. Overall, "猴" is widely recognized as the term for monkeys and is also associated with characteristics of cleverness and agility. ## History The character "猴" is a phonetic-semantic compound. In the small seal script, it contains the radical "犬" (dog), indicating a connection to animals, while the phonetic component suggests the sound "hóu." In the clerical script, it evolved into the form used today. According to *Shuowen Jiezi*, "猴" refers to a type of monkey, specifically the macaque, which belongs to the same family as gibbons. The term is illustrated in idioms like "沐猴而冠" (a monkey wearing a crown). Monkeys are often seen as clever and adaptable, which allows the term to be used metaphorically for people, as in "猴精," referring to someone who is cunning or sly. As a verb, "猴" can describe the act of squatting like a monkey or climbing and entangling in a monkey-like manner. For example, in *Dream of the Red Chamber*, a character is described as "猴向凤姐身上立刻要牌," which implies a quick, agile approach. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ? ### Bronze Script ? ### Seal Script ![[猴 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ? ### Regular Script ![[猴 reg.svg]]