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.

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

交喙(いすか) or 交喙(イスカ) • (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)

Further reading

• Entry at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)