鵐
unmottled quail
Strokes18
Readings
On'yomi
- ブ
- ム
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
鵐 refers to a specific kind of quail, described as unmottled. Its meaning is narrow and concrete, centered on this particular bird.
Most common words using 鵐
Study
Etymology
鵐 combines 巫 (shaman) with 鳥 (bird). The exact historical reason for this combination is uncertain, but it likely served as a phono-semantic compound for naming the bird.
Meaning mnemonic
A shaman 巫 stands beside a bird 鳥, identifying it as the unmottled quail—perhaps a bird with ritual significance.
Reading mnemonic
For ブ, imagine a shaman blowing a short, sharp note on a flute to call the unmottled quail: the 'boo' sound of the flute cues ブ.