Definitions

mynah; Erithacus species (various)

Etymology phono-semantic

bird

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(qú), the simplified form of , is a phono-semantic compound: the left side (jù) gives the sound, and the right side (niǎo, "bird") marks it as a bird. Rather than a generic term for any flying creature, the character names specific small birds like the crested myna (八哥) and the robin (知更鸟), and appears mainly in ornithological and poetic descriptions.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern