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狻猊. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
狻猊, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
狻猊 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
狻猊 you have here. The definition of the word
狻猊 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
狻猊, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
The (legendary) beast was mentioned in the ancient Chinese glossary Erya as 狻麑, a "devourer of tigers and leopards". It was also attested in the Mu Tianzi Zhuan (nominally from the Warring States period; however the textual history of the book was problematic). If correctly identified as a legendary account of the lion as later texts do, it may be a (partial) borrowing, possibly from a historical Iranian or Indo-Iranian language.
The use of 狻猊 (OC *swar ŋe) possibly predates that of 獅 (OC *sri, “lion”). Compare Proto-Indo-Iranian *sinȷ́ʰás (“lion”), Proto-Iranian *cárguš.
Pronunciation
Zhengzhang system (2003)
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Character
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狻
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猊
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Reading #
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1/1
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1/1
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No.
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16435
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2744
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Phonetic component
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允
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兒
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Rime group
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元
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支
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Rime subdivision
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3
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0
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Corresponding MC rime
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酸
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倪
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Old Chinese
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/*sloːn/
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/*ŋeː/
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Noun
狻猊
- (archaic) lion
- (Chinese mythology) mythological creature which is said to be a hybrid of lion and dragon, likes to sit down and is one of the nine sons of the dragon
Further reading
Japanese
Etymology
Literary Chinese 狻猊 (suānní)
Pronunciation
Noun
狻猊 or 狻猊 • (sangei or shungei)
- (Chinese mythology) a suanni, a cross between a dragon and a lion
- (loosely, rare) Synonym of 獅子 (shishi, “lion”)
Proper noun
狻猊 or 狻猊 • (Sangei or Shungei)
- (Chinese mythology) the suanni that was one of the nine sons of the dragon
See also