獅

Зhono-semantic compound:

犬 — semantic component, “animal, beast”

師 — phonetic component, giving the shi sound (sre)

Originally used to transliterate foreign words referring to the lion, which was not native to ancient East Asia.

Lions arrived in China through Western Regions (西域) diplomacy, trade, and Buddhist transmission.

Thus 獅 often appears in Buddhist vocabulary.

사자 (獅子) — lion

사자후 (獅子吼) — “lion’s roar”; also splendid speech

사자상 (獅子像) — lion statue

사자좌 (獅子座) — constellation Leo (“lion’s seat”)

獅 entered Chinese partly as a transliteration for Indo-Iranian terms connected with Buddhist culture.

In Buddhist symbolism, the lion represents royalty, spiritual strength, and fearless proclamation of truth.

Iconographically, lions became common in temple guardians, inspiring the Korean word 해태 / 사자상 (lion statue).

Classical citations:

《廣雅》 (Guangya)

「獅，狻猊也。」

“獅 refers to the suānní, a type of lion-like beast.”

《法華經》 (Lotus Sutra)

「獅子吼。」

“The lion’s roar,” representing the Buddha’s powerful and fearless teaching.

《異物志》 (Foreign Journal)

「獅子，西域之獸也。」

“The lion is a beast of the Western Regions.”

This citation highlights that lions were imported and not native to China.