隻

A classifier for animals or vessels.

Ideogrammic compound consisting of:

隹 (새 추) — semantic element, meaning “bird.”

又 (또 우) — semantic element, meaning “hand.”

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字), Xu Shen defines:

「隻，隹一也。从隹从又。」

“隻 means a single bird; composed of 隹 and 又 (hand).”

The earliest bronze and seal script forms depict a hand grasping one small bird, representing the notion of “one alone” or “single.”

From this imagery arose its numerical and classificatory senses: one piece, one side, one creature.

When two such birds appear together (隹 + 隹), the character becomes 雙 (쌍), “pair.”

隻 (외짝) — single, one of a pair

一隻 (일척) — one bird, one piece

隻手 (척수) — one hand; single hand

隻眼 (척안) — one eye; monocular

隻輪 (척륜) — one wheel; single-wheeled

隻羽 (척우) — single feather, one wing

隻鶴 (척학) — a solitary crane; symbol of noble isolation

In modern usage, 隻 also functions as a classifier for animals (one bird, one beast), equivalent to “마리” in Korean or “zhī” in Mandarin.

The character’s form directly embodies the human experience of holding a single living thing — the grasp of the hand (又) enclosing one bird (隹).

Its visual simplicity and semantic clarity made it an archetype for pair vs. single oppositions in the script:

隻 (“one”) vs 雙 (“two”), both sharing the bird radical.

In classical literature, 隻 frequently appears in idioms emphasizing solitude or uniqueness.

For instance, in the Zhuangzi (莊子·山木):

「隻鶴不群。」

“The solitary crane does not flock” — a metaphor for the noble recluse.

In Korean tradition, this imagery persisted: a 척학(隻鶴) symbolizes integrity and independence, standing alone yet dignified.

Thus, 隻 expresses not merely numeric singleness but the aesthetic and moral sense of solitary completeness — the one that stands alone, sufficient unto itself.