The Kanji: 猟 (Ryō)
The kanji 猟 means "hunting," "game," or "to pursue." It combines 犭 (animal) with 鼠 (rat) in its original form, depicting the pursuit of wild game. This character represents both traditional hunting and modern searching activities.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 猟師 (ryōshi) - Hunter
山で猟師が鹿を追う。
"A hunter pursues deer in the mountains."
2. 狩猟 (shuryō) - Hunting
免許を得て狩猟を行う。
"Hunt with a proper license."
3. 猟犬 (ryōken) - Hunting dog
猟犬が獲物の臭いを追う。
"The hunting dog follows the prey's scent."
4. 猟期 (ryōki) - Hunting season
冬が猟期の最盛期だ。
"Winter is the peak hunting season."
In summary, 猟 describes hunting activities - from practitioners (猟師) and the act itself (狩猟) to hunting tools (猟犬) and regulated periods (猟期). It maintains connections to both traditional and modern pursuit in Japanese.