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The character 鹭, simplified from 鷺, is a phono-semantic compound. Its upper component 路 provides the pronunciation lù, while the lower radical 鸟 indicates the semantic category of bird. It specifically refers to wading birds like egrets and herons, noted for their long legs, necks, and bills. Although 路 commonly means "road", here it functions solely as a phonetic element. The simplification process transformed the traditional avian radical into its modern form without altering the upper phonetic part, preserving the character's taxonomic meaning.
Etymology Hide
