cuckoo bird; ancient term
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 2 examplesnoun
cuckoo bird; specifically the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) as mentioned in ancient texts
archaicThis is a literary term found in classical Chinese texts such as the Book of Songs (Shijing). It refers to the common cuckoo, also known as 布谷鸟 (the 'grain-sowing bird') due to its distinctive call that sounds like 'cuck-oo'.
Shī鸤
jiū鸠
zài在
sāng桑
，
qí其
zǐ子
qī七
xī兮
。
The cuckoo rests in the mulberry tree, with seven chicks beneath her wing.
Gǔ古
shū书
zhōng中
de的
shī鸤
jiū鸠
jí即
jīn今
tiān天
suǒ所
shuō说
de的
bù布
gǔ谷
niǎo鸟
。
The shijiu mentioned in ancient books refers to what is today called the cuckoo.