Definitions

chóu companion; couple; to match

Etymology

Depicts two birds facing each other

About

The character 雔 is formed by duplicating the component 隹, meaning a bird, so its structure directly depicts two birds. Etymologically, it initially conveyed the concrete idea of a pair of birds, but its meaning expanded over time to encompass more abstract concepts such as matching, correspondence, and mutual response. This semantic shift led to its use in classical texts where it could denote answering or being in accord. Structurally consistent, the character maintains this duplicated form, and while its independent usage has diminished, it now primarily serves as a constituent in other characters, notably 雠.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern