About
鸵, meaning "ostrich", is a phono-semantic compound. The radical 鸟 (simplified from 鳥) indicates a bird, and the phonetic 它 (tuó) supplies the pronunciation. Its traditional form 鴕 straightforwardly combines 鳥 with 它; the simplified version merely replaces the radical with 鸟, keeping the phonetic intact. Coined to name this exotic, non-native bird when knowledge of it reached China, the character has always served as a purely zoological term, with no extended or metaphorical meanings.
Example Words
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.