Skip to content
Kotomora

翟

surname, kind of pheasant

Strokes14

Readings

On'yomi

  • ケキ
  • ジャク
  • タク
  • タイ

Kun'yomi

  • きじ

Meaning

翟 centers on a long-tailed pheasant, a kind of bird. The surname meaning is a separate application, likely derived from the bird name.

Study

Etymology

翟 combines 羽 (feathers) and 隹 (a short-tailed bird), together representing a long-tailed pheasant with prominent feathers. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component combination clearly points to a bird with distinctive plumage.

Meaning mnemonic

Feathers 羽 above a bird 隹: picture a pheasant with long, showy tail feathers. The top feathers are so prominent they become the defining feature of this bird.

Reading mnemonic

For ケキ, imagine a pheasant making a sharp 'keki' call as it struts: keki -> ケキ, and the sound matches the bird's proud display.