[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Animals # 豸 zhì carnivorous animals ## Components [[爫 (zhǎo)]] [[犭 (quǎn)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character **豸 (zhì)** primarily serves as a **radical** in Chinese characters related to **beasts**, especially **carnivorous animals**. It no longer has an independent meaning but is an important component in characters that describe predatory animals like leopards (**豹**), dholes (**豺**), and martens (**貂**). ## History The character **豸 (zhì)** is a **pictographic character**. Its shape originally resembled a carnivorous animal with a long body, large mouth, sharp teeth, and a long tail. The primary meaning of **豸** referred to animals with long spines, though this specific meaning is rare. Nowadays, **豸** is mainly used as a radical in characters related to carnivorous animals, such as **豹** (leopard), **豺** (dhole), **貂** (marten), and **貉** (raccoon dog). ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[豸 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ？ ### Seal Script ![[豸sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[豸cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[豸reg.svg]]