鸛
Japanese stork
Readings
On'yomi
- カン
Kun'yomi
- こうのとり
Meaning
鸛 refers specifically to the Japanese stork, a large wading bird. The meaning is narrow and concrete, with no abstract extensions.
Most common words using 鸛
- 嘴広鸛はしびろこう
shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
- 朱嘴鸛しゅばしこう
white stork (Ciconia ciconia)
- 燕尾鸛えんびこう
maguari stork (Ciconia maguari)
- 白襟鸛しろえりこう
woolly-necked stork (Ciconia episcopus); whitenecked stork
- 鍋鸛なべこう
black stork (Ciconia nigra)
- 青嘴鸛あおはしこう
Abdim's stork (Ciconia abdimii); white-bellied stork
- 頭黒禿鸛すぐろはげこう
jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)
- 鸛鶴こうづる
Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana)
Study
Etymology
鸛 combines 雚 (a phonetic component associated with storks or herons) with 鳥 (bird), forming a phono-semantic compound for the stork.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 雚 resembles a stork's long neck and crest, while the right side 鳥 confirms it is a bird. Together they make the Japanese stork.
Reading mnemonic
For カン, picture a stork standing in a can: can -> カン, and the stork's long legs fit perfectly inside.