The story of 犯

offend, violate

犯 is composed of the radical 犬 (dog) and 㔾 (kneel, surround). 㔾 is a pictograph of a person kneeling with bent knees, carrying the meaning of surrounding or encircling, which extends to the ideas of scope and rules. 犬 is a pictograph of a dog, representing wild animals. Wild animals lack human ethics and morality, transgressing rules without regard.