About
The character 凫 (fú) is the simplified form of 鳧, composed of the semantic component 鸟 (niǎo, bird) and the enclosing element 几 (jī). Historically, 几 serves as a phonetic indicator, while the structure places the character within the category of birds, specifically meaning a wild duck or mallard. This term distinguishes such undomesticated waterfowl from common domestic ducks. In classical literature, 凫 is also used metaphorically to depict swimming or floating on water, evoking the effortless gliding of wild ducks across lakes and rivers.