【析形】会意字。甲骨文、金文字形从单(猎叉),从犬,表示带着猎叉和猎犬打猎。小篆字形承接金文字形并整齐化,单旁变形为嘼。 【释义】《说文》:“守备者。”本义是打猎,是“狩”的本字。后引申泛指野兽,又比喻像野兽一样残暴,如[兽性大作]。现在“兽”专用指鸟兽,捕猎之义写作“狩”。 【shape analysis】It is the associative character. In Oracle and Bronze Inscriptions, the meaningful parts are 单(猎叉)(dān, hunting fork)and 犬(quǎn,dog)which means hunting with the hunting fork and the hunting dogs. 【original meaning】 Hunting, the original character of狩.