About
The character 鹘 originates from its traditional form 鶻, a phono-semantic compound where 骨 (bone) provides the pronunciation and 鳥 (bird) serves as the semantic radical. Its simplified form replaces the radical with 鸟 while retaining the same phonetic component. Historically referring to a type of pigeon or migratory bird, the term later came to denote falcons or hawks used in hunting. The radical thus categorizes it within avian terminology, while the phonetic element indicates its sound.
Etymology Hide
