About
The character 鹡 appears only in the disyllabic compound 鹡鸰, which names the wagtail, a small passerine bird noted for its constant tail-bobbing. It is a phono-semantic compound: the bird radical 鸟 on the right conveys the avian meaning, while the left side 脊 provides the sound and possibly alludes to the bird's characteristic spinal motion. The traditional form 鶺 substitutes the simplified 鸟 with the full 鳥 radical but retains the same structure. Outside of this zoological context, 鹡 has no independent meaning, having denoted the wagtail consistently throughout historical texts, a stable, specialized term that never developed metaphorical senses.
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.