鸚
parrot, parakeet
Readings
On'yomi
- イン
- オウ
- ヨウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
鸚 centers on a specific kind of bird: a parrot or parakeet, known for its curved beak and often colorful plumage.
Most common words using 鸚
- 鸚鵡おうむ
(large) parrot (incl. the cockatoo)
- 鸚鵡貝おうむがい
chambered nautilus (esp. species Nautilus pompilius)
- 梟鸚鵡ふくろうおうむ
kakapo (Strigops habroptila); owl parrot
- 椰子鸚鵡やしおうむ
palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus); goliath cockatoo; great black cockatoo
- 海鸚鵡うみおうむ
parakeet auklet (Aethia psittacula)
- 深山鸚鵡みやまおうま
kea (Nestor notabilis)
- 紅金剛鸚哥べにこんごういんこ
green-winged macaw (Ara chloropterus); red-and-green macaw; scarlet macaw
- 輪掛本青鸚哥わかけほんせいいんこ
Indian rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri manillensis); ring-necked parakeet
Study
Etymology
鸚 combines 嬰 (which may contribute sound) with 鳥 (bird), forming a phono-semantic compound for a type of bird. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 嬰 looks like a necklace of beads (貝) over a woman (女) with an eye (目) on top, while the right side 鳥 is a bird. Imagine a parrot wearing a beaded necklace, chattering away.
Reading mnemonic
For イン, picture an inn where a talkative parrot greets guests at the door: inn -> イン, and the parrot's chatter fills the lobby.