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Kotomora

鵄

kite, horned owl, wine cups

Strokes17

Readings

On'yomi

  • シ

Kun'yomi

  • とび

Meaning

鵄 centers on a bird of prey or a specific owl, with the kite and horned owl as the main bird meanings. The wine cups sense is a separate, rare usage that does not share an obvious conceptual link with the bird meanings.

Most common words using 鵄

  • 金鵄きんし

    golden kite (which landed on the tip of Emperor Jimmu's bow after he had defeated Nagasunehiko)

  • 金鵄勲章きんしくんしょう

    The Order of the Golden Kite (Japanese military award)

Explore all words using 鵄 →

Study

Etymology

鵄 combines 至 (arrive) with 鳥 (bird), likely as a phono-semantic compound where 至 hints at the sound and 鳥 indicates a bird. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

A bird (鳥) that arrives (至) silently like a kite or horned owl. Picture a kite swooping down to its perch.

Reading mnemonic

For シ, imagine a she-kite (female kite) arriving at its nest: she -> シ, and the bird 鳥 arrives 至.