鴉
crow, raven
Readings
On'yomi
- ア
Kun'yomi
- からす
Meaning
鴉 centers on the crow or raven, the large black bird. The two meanings are essentially the same animal, with no distinct conceptual split.
Most common words using 鴉
- 渡鴉わたりがらす
common raven (Corvus corax)
- 嘴太鴉はしぶとがらす
jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
- 嘴細鴉はしぼそがらす
carrion crow (Corvus corone)
- 大鴉おおがらす
The Raven (narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe)
- 寒鴉かんあ
winter crow
- 暁鴉ぎょうあ
crow cawing in the morning; crows crying in the morning
- 焼け野の鴉やけののからす
blacker than black
- 鴉の濡れ羽色からすのぬればいろ
glossy black (hair); color of a crow with wet feathers
- 鴉髻あけい
jet-black hair
- 鵲笛鴉かささぎふえがらす
Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
Study
Etymology
鴉 combines 牙 (which likely contributes the sound) with 鳥 (bird), forming a phono-semantic character for the crow or raven.
Meaning mnemonic
A bird (鳥) with a tusk-like beak (牙) that caws loudly: that's a crow or raven.
Reading mnemonic
For ア, imagine a crow opening its beak wide and letting out a loud 'Ah!' sound: 'Ah!' -> ア, the crow's cry.