shrike's call; unintelligible speech
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
the call of the shrike (bird); (figuratively) unintelligible, barbarous, or incomprehensible speech
literaryA classical literary term. The primary meaning refers to the harsh call of the shrike (伯劳). By extension, it is used metaphorically to describe speech or language that is difficult to understand, particularly foreign dialects or tongues that sound harsh or barbaric to the listener.
Qí其
yán言
rú如
tóng同
jué鴃
shé舌
，
lìng令
rén人
fèi费
jiě解
。
His words were like the call of a shrike, utterly baffling.
Nán南
mán蛮
jué鴃
shé舌
。
The barbarous tongues of the southern tribes. (Classical phrase used to describe unfamiliar languages.)
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Chū初
zhì至
yì异
xiāng乡
，
tīng听
dāng当
dì地
rén人
shuō说
huà话
，
pō颇
yǒu有
jué鴃
shé舌
zhī之
gǎn感
。
When I first arrived in the foreign land, listening to the locals speak gave me a sense of hearing incomprehensible chatter.