鸚

A phono-semantic compound formed from:

鳥 (새 조) — semantic component, indicating that the character refers to a bird.

嬰 (어릴 영) — phonetic component, giving the sound aeng (Middle Chinese ʔjæŋ) and implying something small and lively.

Thus, 鸚 literally means “a small, bright bird,” and through sound association, became the specific term for the parrot, often paired with 鵡 (무) to form 鸚鵡.

鸚鵡 (앵무) — parrot

鸚鵡螺 (앵무라) — nautilus (literally “parrot shell”)

鸚哥 (앵가) — an older term for “parrot” (borrowed into Japanese as inka)

The parrot (鸚鵡) appears frequently in classical Chinese poetry as a symbol of articulate but captive beauty — a creature of brilliance that can only repeat the words of others.

In Tang poetry, it embodies fidelity and sorrow, often associated with separation or longing:

「鸚鵡啞啞，金籠夜語。」《白居易·長恨歌》

“The parrot murmurs within the golden cage at night” (Song of Everlasting Regret).

Here, the parrot’s speech echoes human grief — intelligent but bound, eloquent yet powerless.

In Buddhist literature, 鸚鵡 sometimes symbolizes the voice of Dharma (法音) — the repetition of sacred truth rather than independent speech.

Thus, 鸚 has come to signify eloquence, imitation, and refinement, bridging nature and cultivated expression.