Definitions
shoe, the sole of a shoe; magpie
Etymology
Pictograph of a bird with its two wings opened. Based on the original meaning "magpie", now written as 鵲. The current meaning "shoe" is a phonetic loan.
About
The character "舄" initially represented a magpie, with its form later applied to denote a type of ceremonial shoe characterized by a wooden sole. In its traditional composition, the character places the component "臼" above a lower element that historically derived from bird imagery, though this association is no longer transparent in the contemporary shape. The semantic shift from avian to footwear occurred over time, and the character is now largely confined to historical references, surnames, or place names.
Etymology Hide
