[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Animals # 禽 qín birds, avian species ## Components [[人 rén]] [[人 (rén)]] [[凶 xiōng]] [[禸 (róu)]] [[亠 (tóu)]] ## Meaning Today, the character 禽 (qín) primarily refers to "birds" or "avian species." It is often used in contexts related to poultry or bird-related activities. For example, in the term 禽兽 (qínshòu), it means "birds and beasts," encompassing both birds and animals in general. The character retains its association with the concept of capturing or hunting, but its modern usage mainly focuses on birds. ## History The character 禽 (qín) is both a pictographic and phonetic character. In oracle bone script, it resembles a long-handled net used for capturing birds and animals. In later forms, such as bronze and seal scripts, a phonetic element (今) was added to the upper part of the character. Originally, 禽 referred to the act of hunting or capturing birds and animals, which has evolved into the general term for capturing or seizing. Today, it is primarily used to refer to birds or avian species. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[禽 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[禽 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[禽 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[禽 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[禽 reg.svg]]