獭 (tǎ) — otter
Definition
noun
otter
Measure word · 只
Examples
- 。Wǒ kàn jiàn le yì zhī shuǐ tǎ.I saw an otter.
- 。Shuǐ tǎ shēng huó zài shuǐ zhōng.Otters live in water.
- 。Zhè zhǒng shuǐ tǎ xǐ huan chī yú.This kind of otter likes to eat fish.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 獺; 獭 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
賴
賴lài獺tǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 獺 combines 犬, a dog, with 賴 for the sound; the simplified 獭 is a shorthand.
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