摘要：羊为汉语一级通用规范汉字（常用字）。此字始见于商代甲骨文及商代金文，古字形大多是像有突出双角的羊头形状。“羊”的本义是一种反刍的偶蹄类哺乳动物，即牛科家畜羊。

羊为汉语一级通用规范汉字（常用字）。此字始见于商代甲骨文及商代金文，古字形大多是像有突出双角的羊头形状。“羊”的本义是一种反刍的偶蹄类哺乳动物，即牛科家畜羊。

The Chinese character "羊" (yáng, meaning "sheep" or "goat") is a basic and widely used character. It first appeared in the oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty. Ancient forms of the character largely resemble a sheep's head with prominent horns. Originally, "羊" referred to a ruminant, cloven-hoofed mammal—specifically, the domesticated sheep of the bovine family.

“羊”是汉字部首之一。用“羊”作意符的字有的是羊的名称，如羚、羔、羝；有的是与羊性格有关的事物、性状等，如：羹、羞、善、群。

In addition to its standalone meaning, "羊" also serves as a radical in many Chinese characters. Characters using "羊" as a semantic component generally fall into two categories: Names of sheep or related species – such as 羚 (líng, antelope), 羔 (gāo, lamb), and 羝 (dī, male sheep); Characters associated with traits or qualities linked to sheep – such as 羹 (gēng, mutton soup), 羞 (xiū, shyness), 善 (shàn, goodness), and 群 (qún, flock).

因为羊可以作为祭祀品通神灵，所以人们认为它能带来祥福，于是“羊”有“吉祥”的含义。“羊”是“祥”的本字，古文中常常可以见到“羊”和“祥”通假使用的情况。早在金文中，这样的记载就非常明确了，例如中山王壶上著录：“不羊莫大焉。”这里的“不羊”即“不祥”。

As sheep were often offered as sacrifices to deities, they gradually became symbols of blessings and auspiciousness. In fact, "羊" is the original form of "祥" (xiáng, meaning "auspicious"), and the two characters were frequently used interchangeably in ancient texts. Evidence of this can be found in early bronze inscriptions. For example, on the Zhongshan King's vessel, the inscription reads: "不羊莫大焉". Here, "不羊" literally means "not auspicious", conveying a sense of extreme misfortune.

责编：勾晓庆

来源：CFBDSIRJ214947-