About
The character for whale, represented in its simplified form as "鲸" and traditionally as "鯨", is constructed from the semantic radical "鱼" denoting fish and the phonetic component "京" indicating sound, forming a phono-semantic compound that originally classified whales within the broad category of fish-like aquatic creatures. This structural etymology reflects a historical perceptual alignment with marine life, despite later biological distinctions identifying whales as mammals. Over centuries, the character's primary meaning has remained consistently anchored to the animal itself, though classical literary usage occasionally extended it metaphorically to convey notions of vast scale or formidable presence. The enduring presence of the "鱼" radical in both forms underscores a persistent linguistic linkage to the aquatic realm, even as the conceptual understanding of whales evolved independently from this early categorization.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
蓝鲸是很大的动物。
我在海洋馆见过鲸鱼。
这头鲸的叫声很特别。
科学家正在研究鲸的行为。
鲸鱼用肺呼吸，不是用鳃。
那片海域是鲸群的迁徙路线。
过度捕鲸曾使许多鲸类濒危。
一头鲸的死亡会形成深海鲸落生态系统。