About
The character 鸮 (xiāo), traditional form 鴞, is a phono-semantic compound for a type of owl. Its semantic component is the bird radical 鸟 (niǎo) on the right, which indicates its category, while the left component 号 (hào) provides the pronunciation. The traditional form uses the radical 鳥 and the phonetic component 號. Historically, the character denoted various owl species. In classical Chinese literature, it often carried negative connotations, symbolizing bad omens or misfortune, due to the bird's nocturnal habits and call, though modern terminology uses it as a neutral classification.
Etymology Hide
