交喙

交喙

Japanese

Kanji in this term
交	喙
いすか
Grade: 2	Hyōgaiji
jukujikun

Alternative spelling
鶍

交喙 (isuka): a pair of red crossbills, showing the distinctively crossed bills.

Etymology

From Old Japanese. Derivative term 很し (isukashi, “emotionally twisted up”, obsolete) appears in the Nihon Shoki, completed in 720 CE.[1]

The kanji spelling is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) いすか [ìsúká] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [isɨᵝka̠]

Noun

交喙(いすか) • (isuka) 

1. common crossbill, red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)

   Hypernym: 花鶏 (atori)

Usage notes

• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as イスカ.

Derived terms

• 交喙(いすか)継(つぎ), 交喙(いすか)継(つ)ぎ (isuka-tsugi)

Idioms

• 交喙(いすか)の嘴(はし) (isuka no hashi)

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Further reading

• Entry at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)