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Kotomora

鴒

wagtail

Strokes16

Readings

On'yomi

  • レイ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

鴒 refers specifically to the wagtail, a small bird known for its characteristic tail-wagging behavior.

Most common words using 鴒

  • 鶺鴒せきれい

    any bird of family Motacillidae (excluding the pipits); wagtail; longclaw

  • 白鶺鴒はくせきれい

    black-backed wagtail (Motacilla alba lugens)

  • 背黒鶺鴒せぐろせきれい

    Japanese wagtail (Motacilla grandis)

  • 黄鶺鴒きせきれい

    grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea); gray wagtail

Explore all words using 鴒 →

Study

Etymology

鴒 combines 令 (likely a phonetic component) with 鳥 (bird), forming a character for a specific bird species. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the structure is a typical phono-semantic compound.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 令 looks like a person giving an order, and the right side 鳥 is a bird. Imagine a bird that wags its tail as if giving commands—a wagtail.

Reading mnemonic

For レイ, picture a wagtail laying eggs in a nest: lay -> レイ, and the bird's tail wags as it settles down.