About
The character "雌" is etymologically formed by the phonetic component "此" and the semantic component "隹", which signifies a bird, indicating its original meaning was specifically a female bird. Over centuries, its application widened to denote female animals across various species, and eventually it came to represent feminine qualities or the female principle in a more abstract sense. This semantic expansion from a zoological designation to a general gender marker occurred without any alteration to the character's fundamental structure, where "隹" continues to hint at its avian origins while "此" serves as a phonetic guide, demonstrating a conceptual shift within a stable graphical form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这只鸟是雌的。
雌鹿在吃草。
那只雌猫生了小猫。
花园里有许多雌花。
雌性动物通常照顾幼崽。
雌狮捕猎，而雄狮守护领地。
区分雌雄个体需要观察外部特征。
在鸟类中，雌性往往负责孵卵和育雏。