View source for 狻猊

==Chinese==
{{zh-forms|alt=狻麑,尊耳,騶吾,騶虞,騶牙,酋耳|gloss=-}}
{{zh-wp}}

===Etymology===
The (legendary) beast was mentioned in the ancient Chinese glossary ''{{w|Erya}}'' as {{lang|zh|[[狻]][[麑]]}}, a "devourer of tigers and leopards". It was also attested in the ''{{w|Mu Tianzi Zhuan}}'' (nominally from the {{w|Warring States period}}; however the textual history of the book was problematic). If correctly identified as a legendary account of the [[lion]] as later texts do, it may be a (partial) borrowing, possibly from a historical Iranian or Indo-Iranian language.

The use of {{och-l|狻猊|tr=*swar ŋe}} possibly predates that of {{och-l|獅|lion}}. Compare {{noncog|iir-pro|*sinȷ́ʰás||lion}}, {{noncog|ira-pro|*cárguš}}.

===Pronunciation===
{{zh-pron
|m=suānní
|c=syun1 ngai4
|mn=soan-gê
|mn-t=suêng1 ngi5
|mc=y
|oc=y
|cat=n
}}

===Noun===
{{head|zh|noun}}

# {{lb|zh|archaic}} [[lion]]
#* {{zh-x|'''@狻麑'''，如 虦{zhàn}貓，食 虎豹。|The '''lions''' look like light(-haired) cats; they eat tigers and leopards.|ref=Erya}} <!--- 爾雅/卷10/虎 虎竊毛謂之虦貓。 郭璞註：（竊，淺也。《詩》曰：“有貓有虎。”） 淺 is translatable as "light, pale" --->
#* {{zh-x|狻猊 □ 野馬 走 五百 里。|'''Lions''' [and?] wild horses run 500 li [a day].|ref=Mutianzizhuan}} <!--- 爾雅/卷10/狻麑 郭璞註：（即師子也，出西域。漢順帝時疏勒王來獻犎牛及師子。《穆天子傳》曰：“狻猊日走五百里。”） --->
# {{lb|zh|Chinese mythology}} mythological creature which is said to be a hybrid of [[lion]] and [[dragon]], one of the nine [[son]]s of the [[dragon]]; said to either like to smoke and decorate incense burners, or like to sit down and decorate the thrones of Buddha statues

====Coordinate terms====
* ''("sons of the dragon", creatures found in decorations):'' {{l|zh|贔屭}}, {{l|zh|霸下}}, {{l|zh|𧈢𧏡}}, {{l|zh|螭虎}}, {{l|zh|饕餮}}, {{l|zh|蜥蜴}}, {{l|zh|睚眥}}, {{l|zh|鴟吻}}, {{l|zh|虭蛥}}, {{l|zh|嘲風}}, {{l|zh|蒲牢}}, {{l|zh|狴犴}}, {{l|zh|椒圖}}, {{l|zh|金吾}}, {{l|zh|囚牛}}

===Further reading===
*Behr, Wolfgang. [https://www.academia.edu/13034400/Hinc_sunt_leones_two_ancient_Eurasian_migratory_terms_in_Chinese_revisited_I_II_ "Hinc sunt leones – two ancient Eurasian migratory terms in Chinese revisited (I-II)"]. ''International Journal of Central Asian Studies''.  Volume 9, 2004, pp. 1-25; Volume 10, 2005, pp. 1-22.

==Japanese==
{{ja-kanjitab|さん|げい|yomi=kanon}}
{{ja-kanjitab|しゅん|げい|yomi=kanon}}
{{swp|lang=ja}}

===Etymology===
{{der|ja|lzh|狻猊|sort=さんげい}}

===Pronunciation===
{{ja-pron|さんげい}}
{{ja-pron|acc=0|しゅんげい}}

===Noun===
{{ja-noun|さんげい|しゅんげい}}

# {{lb|ja|Chinese mythology|sort=さんげい}} a ''suanni'', a cross between a dragon and a lion
# {{lb|ja|loosely|rare|sort=さんげい}} {{syn of|ja|獅子|tr=shishi||lion}}

===Proper noun===
{{ja-pos|proper|さんげい|しゅんげい}}

# {{lb|ja|Chinese mythology|sort=さんげい}} the ''suanni'' that was one of the {{w|nine sons of the dragon}}

===See also===
*{{ja-r|猊%下|げい%か}}
*{{ja-r|猊%座|げい%ざ}}

{{C|ja|Mythological creatures|Panthers|Dragons|sort=さんげい}}