Kangxi Radical Dog

It is the dictionary sign for the dog radical. A radical is a recurring part that Chinese character dictionaries use to group entries; ⽝ is the standalone entry related to the ordinary graph 犬.

The graph 犬 appears during the Shang dynasty on oracle-bone inscriptions—writing carved on bones and turtle shells for divination. This is evidence for 犬, not a first date for the distinct radical character ⽝.

In 121 CE, Xu Shen’s Shuowen Jiezi, a Chinese character dictionary, grouped entries into 540 recurring sections. Zihui reduced the system to 214 radicals in 1615, and the Kangxi Dictionary adopted that arrangement in 1716. These headings made character lookup manageable. The written record of 犬 predates 狗, but old dictionaries do not divide the two words by one stable “general dog/specific dog” rule.

When can the dog radical insult people?

It can be derogatory when attached to a people’s name. From the Zhou and Han periods onward, Chinese names for some northern and southern peoples outside the Han Chinese group sometimes used the related component 犭.

In those names, the animal component could cast people as “barbarians” or outsiders. Some communities’ origin stories trace descent to a dog, so canine ancestry did not carry one universal meaning.

By the late imperial period, 犭 could also mark foreignness more broadly. Keep that usage historical: using it to name an ethnic group repeats a demeaning label.