雁

It refers to migratory geese and, by extension, carries strong symbolic meanings related to migration, seasonal change, loyalty, messages, and separation in East Asian culture.

A compound ideograph composed of:

厂 (엄) — a cliff or riverbank

人 (인) — human figure

隹 (추) — short-tailed bird

Together, the components depict people observing or encountering wild birds near riverbanks or cliffs, representing geese flying and resting during migration.

Semantic development:

- wild goose — migratory bird

- messenger — carrier of letters (symbolic)

- traveler / exile — metaphor for separation and longing

Because geese migrate in orderly formations, they also became symbols of discipline and fidelity.

雁行 (안행) — geese flying in formation; orderly sequence

雁書 (안서) — a letter from afar (literary)

歸雁 (귀안) — returning geese; autumn imagery

孤雁 (고안) — a lone goose; loneliness

雁信 (안신) — message carried by geese (figurative)

In classical literature, 雁 often symbolizes a traveler far from home or letters exchanged between distant people. It appears frequently in poetry, especially Tang and Song poetry.

In Korean literature, geese often symbolize:

- faithfulness between spouses

- letters from afar

- autumn and exile

The modern Korean word 기러기 has no direct etymological link to 雁 but is its standard reading.

Citations:

「雁過留聲，人過留名。」

“A goose leaves its cry when it passes; a person leaves a name when he passes.”

「雁書難寄，秋水共長天一色。」

“Goose-borne letters are hard to send; autumn waters merge with the endless sky.”

「孤雁不成行。」

“A lone goose cannot form a flock.”

鳫 (U+9CEB)