# 鹿

| 鹿 | U+9E7F, &#40575; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9E7F |
| ← 鹾 [U+9E7E] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 麀 → [U+9E80] |
| ⿅ | U+2FC5, &#12229; KANGXI RADICAL DEER |
| ← ⿄ [U+2FC4] | Kangxi Radicals | ⿆ → [U+2FC6] |
| 鹿 | U+F940, &#63808; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F940 |
| ← 錄 [U+F93F] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs | 論 → [U+F941] |

## Translingual
### Han character

鹿 (Kangxi radical 198, 鹿+0, 11 strokes, cangjie input 戈難心 (IXP), four-corner 0021$_1$, composition ⿸⿸广⿻コ⿰丨丨比)
* Kangxi radical #198, ⿅.

#### Derived characters

* Appendix:Chinese radical/鹿
* 塶, 㜙, 㦇, 摝, 漉, 樚, 熝, 膔, 䃙, 䌒, 螰, 蹗, 轆(辘), 鏕, 騼(𫠋)
* 鄜, 㼾, 塵, 鏖, 蔍, 䍡, 簏, 廘
* 𬿚, 𭊛, 𡼂, 𤡊, 𣊈, 𣩏, 𪵡, 𤨞, 𥛞, 𥉶, 𮃨, 𦗓, 𦪇, 𧽥, 𨢷, 𩌫, 𩪉, 𩺮, 𪒏, 𪛓
* 𢿇, 𥀔, 𩔴, 𭗎, 𦄐, 𧐠, 𩞇, 𧜫, 𪩏, 𦌏, 𩅄

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1508, character 14
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 47586
* Dae Jaweon: page 2036, character 14
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4727, character 1
* Unihan data for U+9E7F
* Unihan data for U+F940

## Chinese

* Lĕ̤k (Eastern Min)
* 鹿 (Classical)
* 鹿 (Cantonese)
* 鹿 (Written Standard Chinese)

### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 鹿 :
| Shang | Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 鄜 | *pʰlo, *roːɡ |
| 鹿 | *b·roːɡ |
| 漉 | *roːɡ |
| 轆 | *roːɡ |
| 簏 | *roːɡ |
| 螰 | *roːɡ |
| 麓 | *roːɡ |
| 騼 | *roːɡ |
| 摝 | *roːɡ |
| 廘 | *roːɡ |
| 蔍 | *roːɡ |
| 鏕 | *roːɡ |
Pictogram (象形) – a deer. Current form is highly abstracted – legs have transformed to 比 – note grouping of front and rear legs, which are bent – head has transformed to middle component (similar to 凸/曲), while antlers on top and extended lip/mouth on left transformed into 广. This transformation occurred during seal characters.
Contrast the very different development of 馬 (“horse”), and the transformation in 廌 (as in 薦), which has the head of 鹿 but the legs of 馬 (灬).

### Etymology

Uncertain, though possibly Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Northern Naga *gjuk (“deer, sambar”), from Proto-Tibeto-Burman *g-rjuk (French, 1983); also according to French, Benedict relates the Tibeto-Burman item to Western Gurung [script needed] (gju, “sheep”), but this Gurung item may instead be related to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *luk (“sheep”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Within Chinese, Sagart (1999) relates this to 角 (OC *kroːɡ, “horn”).
Baxter and Sagart (2014; 2020) compares this to Langjia Buyang /ma⁰ lɔk⁸/. Note also Nùng klook (“deer”) (Schuessler, 2007).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): lù (lu$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄌㄨˋ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): nu$^2$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): luk$^{6-2}$ / luk$^6$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): luuk$^5$ / luuk$^{5*}$
* Gan (Wiktionary): luh$^6$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): lu̍k
    (Hailu, HRS): lug$^ˋ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): lug$^6$
* Jin (Wiktionary): lueh$^4$
* Northern Min (KCR): lù
* Eastern Min (BUC): lĕ̤k / lṳ̆k
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): lorh$^7$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): lo̍k
    (Teochew, Peng'im): dêg$^8$
    (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): diag$^8$ / log$^4$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^8$loq
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): lou$^6$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: lù
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄨˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: lù
*** Wade–Giles: lu$^4$
*** Yale: lù
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: luh
*** Palladius: лу (lu)
*** Sinological IPA : /lu⁵¹/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: nu$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lu
*** Sinological IPA : /nu²¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: luk$^{6-2}$ / luk$^6$
*** Yale: lúk / luhk
*** Cantonese Pinyin: luk$^{9-2}$ / luk$^9$
*** Guangdong Romanization: lug$^{6-2}$ / lug$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /lʊk̚²⁻³⁵/, /lʊk̚²/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: luuk$^5$ / luuk$^{5*}$
*** Sinological IPA : /lɵk̚³²/, /lɵk̚³²⁻³²⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: luh$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /luʔ⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lu̍k
*** Hakka Romanization System: lug
*** Hagfa Pinyim: lug$^6$
*** Sinological IPA: /luk̚⁵/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: lug$^ˋ$
*** Sinological IPA: /luk²/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: lug$^6$
*** Sinological IPA: /lʊk̚⁵/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: lueh$^4$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /luəʔ²/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: lù
*** Sinological IPA : /lu⁴²/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: lĕ̤k / lṳ̆k
*** Sinological IPA : /l̃øyʔ⁵/, /l̃yʔ⁵/
* lĕ̤k - vernacular;
* lṳ̆k - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit鹿 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /lu⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /lu⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /lu⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /lu²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /lu²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /lu²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /lu²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /lv̩⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /lu¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /lu¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /lu²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /nəu²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /nu³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /nu²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /lu³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /luʔ⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /luəʔ⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /luəʔ²/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /luʌʔ⁵³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /luəʔ⁴³/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /loʔ¹/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /loʔ³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /loʔ²/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /lɤu²¹³/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /lu²²/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /ləu¹¹/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /ləu²⁴/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /nəɯ²⁴/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /luʔ⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /luk̚⁵/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /luk̚⁵⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /lok̚²/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /luk̚²²/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /luk̚²/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /lɔk̚⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /løyʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /lu⁴²/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /tek̚⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /lok̚⁵/ /ʔdiak̚³/ |
* Middle Chinese: luwk
Rime :
| Character | 鹿 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 來 (37) |
| Final (韻) | 屋 (3) |
| Tone (調) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 盧谷切 |
| Baxter | luwk |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /luk̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /luk̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /luk̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ləwk̚/ |
| Li Rong | /luk̚/ |
| Wang Li | /luk̚/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /luk̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | lù |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | luk$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*mə-rˤok/
    (Zhengzhang): /*b·roːɡ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 鹿 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | lù |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ luwk › |
| Old Chinese | /*mə-rˁok/ |
| English | deer |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 鹿 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 8565 |
| Phonetic component | 鹿 |
| Rime group | 屋 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 禄 |
| Old Chinese | /*b·roːɡ/ |

### Definitions

鹿
* deer (Classifier: 隻／只 m c mn; 頭／头 m)
    From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Lín yǒu pǔsù, yě yǒu sǐ lù. [Pinyin]
    In the forest there are the scrubby oaks; in the wild there is a dead deer.
* (literary or in compounds, figurative) political power
    鹿死誰手／鹿死谁手 ― lùsǐshéishǒu ― who will gain supremacy?
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Qín shī qí lù, tiānxià gòng zhú zhī, yúshì gāocái jízú zhě xiān dé yān. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
* a surname

#### Synonyms

* (deer):
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 鹿 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 鹿 |
| Taxonomic name | Taxonomic name | 鹿 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 鹿 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 鹿 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 鹿 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 鹿 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 鹿 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 鹿 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 鹿 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 鹿 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 鹿子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 鹿, 板鹿 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 鹿 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 鹿 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 鹿 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 鹿 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 鹿 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 鹿仔 |
| Hakka | Dabu (Xihe) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 鹿仔 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 鹿仔 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 鹿仔 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian) | 鹿仔 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 鹿仔 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 鹿仔, 鹿 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Kuala Lumpur (Dabu) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 鹿 |
| Hakka | Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo) | 鹿 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 鹿兒 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 鹿 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Taipei (Wanhua) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Tamsui) | 鹿, 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Pingxi) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Cijin) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Tianliao) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Yilan (Toucheng) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Taichung (Wuqi) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Tainan (Anping) | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Taitung | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 鹿仔 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 鹿仔, 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Xiyu) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 鹿 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 鹿 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 鹿 |
| Central Min | Yong'an | 鹿 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 鹿 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 鹿 |
| Wu | Wuxi | 鹿 |
| Wu | Danyang | 鹿頭 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 鹿 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 鹿 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 鹿 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 鹿 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 鹿 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 鹿 |
* (political power): 政權／政权 (zhèngquán)

### Compounds

* 中原逐鹿
* 共挽鹿車 / 共挽鹿车
* 即鹿無虞 / 即鹿无虞
* 四角鹿 (sìjiǎo lù)
* 囷鹿
* 失鹿
* 小鹿兒 / 小鹿儿
* 尖鹿 (Jiānlù)
* 指鹿為馬 / 指鹿为马 (zhǐlùwéimǎ)
* 撲鹿 / 扑鹿
* 斬蛇逐鹿 / 斩蛇逐鹿
* 梅花鹿 (méihuālù)
* 水鹿 (shuǐlù)
* 沙鹿 (Shālù)
* 涿鹿 (Zhuōlù)
* 涿鹿之戰 / 涿鹿之战
* 涿鹿山
* 爭鹿 / 争鹿
* 白脣鹿 / 白唇鹿 (báichúnlù)
* 白鹿 (Báilù)
* 白鹿洞
* 白鹿紙 / 白鹿纸
* 腫骨鹿 / 肿骨鹿
* 船沉鉅鹿 / 船沉钜鹿
* 蕉鹿夢 / 蕉鹿梦
* 覆蕉尋鹿 / 覆蕉寻鹿
* 覆鹿尋蕉 / 覆鹿寻蕉
* 覆鹿遺蕉 / 覆鹿遗蕉
* 逐鹿 (zhúlù)
* 逐鹿中原 (zhúlùzhōngyuán)
* 重赴鹿鳴 / 重赴鹿鸣
* 鉅鹿之戰 / 钜鹿之战
* 鉅鹿 / 钜鹿 (Jùlù)
* 鑿空指鹿 / 凿空指鹿
* 長頸鹿 / 长颈鹿 (chángjǐnglù)
* 雞鹿塞 / 鸡鹿塞
* 馴鹿 / 驯鹿 (xùnlù)
* 駝鹿 / 驼鹿 (tuólù)
* 鴻案鹿車 / 鸿案鹿车
* 鹿兒島 / 鹿儿岛 (Lù'érdǎo)
* 鹿場 / 鹿场
* 鹿寨 (lùzhài)
* 鹿巾 (lùjīn)
* 鹿柴 (lùzhài)
* 鹿死誰手 / 鹿死谁手
* 鹿港 (Lùgǎng, “Lukang”)
* 鹿特丹 (Lùtèdān)
* 鹿皮冠 (lùpíguān)
* 鹿盧 / 鹿卢
* 鹿砦 / 鹿寨 (lùzhài)
* 鹿脯
* 鹿臺 / 鹿台
* 鹿茸 (lùróng)
* 鹿草 (Lùcǎo)
* 鹿草鄉 / 鹿草乡
* 鹿藿
* 鹿裘不完
* 鹿角 (lùjiǎo)
* 鹿角畫 / 鹿角画
* 鹿角菜
* 鹿谷 (Lùgǔ)
* 鹿谷鄉 / 鹿谷乡
* 鹿豕
* 鹿車 / 鹿车
* 鹿車共挽 / 鹿车共挽
* 鹿野鄉 / 鹿野乡
* 鹿門采藥 / 鹿门采药
* 鹿頂 / 鹿顶
* 鹿頭 / 鹿头 (lùtóu)
* 鹿駭 / 鹿骇 (lùhài)
* 鹿鳴 / 鹿鸣
* 鹿鳴宴 / 鹿鸣宴 (lùmíngyàn)
* 麀鹿 (yōulù)
* 麋鹿 (mílù)
* 麋鹿之性
* 麑鹿 (nílù)

### References

* “鹿”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
* “鹿”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)
* deer

#### Readings

* Go-on: ろく (roku)
* Kan-on: ろく (roku)
* Kun: か (ka, 鹿, Jōyō $^†$)、しか (shika, 鹿, Jōyō)、かせぎ (kasegi, 鹿)、かのしし (kanoshishi, 鹿)、しし (shishi, 鹿)

#### Compounds

* 葦鹿(あしか) (ashika): sea lion
* 大鹿(おおじか) (ōjika): moose
* 氈鹿(かもしか) (kamoshika): serow
* 鹿猪(しかいのしし) (shikainoshishi): babirusa
* 鹿肉(しかにく) (shikaniku): venison
* 麝香鹿(じゃこうじか) (jakōjika): musk deer
* 馴鹿(トナカイ) (tonakai), 馴鹿(じゅんろく) (junroku): reindeer
* 日本鹿(にほんじか) (nihonjika): sika deer
* 馬鹿(ばか) (baka): fool
* 麋鹿(びろく) (biroku): moose and deer
* 箆鹿(へらじか) (herajika): moose
* 鹿砦(ろくさい) (rokusai): abatis

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 鹿
* しか Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
/seka/ → /sika/
From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 夫 (se, “male”) +‎ 鹿 (ka, “deer”), in contrast to 女鹿 (meka, “female deer”, archaic).
First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) しか [shìká] (Heiban – [0])
* (Tokyo) しか [shìkáꜜ] (Odaka –)
* IPA: [ɕi̥ka̠]
* Audio:(file)

#### Noun

鹿(しか) or 鹿(シカ) • (shika) (counter 匹)
* deer
    奈(な)良(ら)公(こう)園(えん)には鹿(しか)しかいない。
       Nara kōen ni wa shika shika inai.
       There is nothing but deer in Nara Park.
* (historical) prostitute in the Osaka licensed quarter whose fee was 16 momme; the grade below the 太夫 (tayū), and the 天神 (tenjin)
    See also: Thesaurus:娼婦

##### 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 シカ.

##### Idioms

* 鹿(しか)を逐(お)う者(もの)は山(やま)を見(み)ず (shika o ou mono wa yama o mizu): “someone chasing a deer doesn't see the mountain” → a metaphor for how someone who is fixed on a target can be oblivious to the challenges in the way

##### Descendants

* ⇒ English: sika deer

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 鹿
* か Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ka̠]

#### Noun

鹿(か) • (ka)
* (archaic) deer

##### Derived terms

* 鹿沼(かぬま) (Kanuma): Kanuma, Tochigi
* 鹿児島(かごしま) (Kagoshima): Kagoshima

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 鹿
* かせぎ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. From the resemblance to a 桛木 (kasegi, “cross-shaped spindle; a branching point in a tree”).
First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ka̠se̞ɡʲi]

#### Noun

鹿(かせぎ) • (kasegi)
* (archaic) deer
** 1212: Hōjōki
    山鳥(やまどり)のほろと鳴(な)くを聞(き)きても、父(ちち)か母(はは)かと疑(うたが)ひ、峰(みね)のかせぎの近(ちか)くなれたるにつけても、世(よ)に遠(とお)ざかるほどを知(し)る。
       Yamadori no horo to naku o kikite mo, chichi ka haha ka to utagahi, mine no kasegi no chikaku naretaru ni tsukete mo, yo ni tōzakaru hodo oshiru.
       Hearing the horo call of the mountain pheasant, wondering if it were my father or mother [calling from beyond the grave], and seeing how the deer on the ridge are so tame that they come close by, all of it shows me how far away I am from the world.

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 鹿
* かのしし Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 鹿の肉 鹿肉
From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 鹿 (ka, “deer”) +‎ の (possessive particle) +‎ 肉 (shishi, “meat, flesh”).
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) かのしし [kànóshíshí] (Heiban – [0])
* (Tokyo) かのしし [kànóshíꜜshì] (Nakadaka – [3])
* IPA: [ka̠no̞ɕiɕi]

#### Noun

鹿(かのしし) • (kanoshishi)
* (archaic) deer
* deer meat: venison

### Etymology 5

* Kanji in this term
* 鹿
* しし Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 獣 猪
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *sisi. Cognate with 肉 (shishi, “meat of a beast”).
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) しし [shíꜜshì] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ɕiɕi]

#### Noun

鹿(しし) • (shishi)
* (archaic) a beast (used for its meat, such as a boar or a deer)
* Short for 猪武者 (inoshishi musha): a reckless warrior
* Short for 鹿狩り (shishi-gari): a deer hunter
* (slang) a female attendant at a bathhouse or hot spring
* (slang, archaic) a female prostitute at a bathhouse or hot spring
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:娼婦

##### Usage notes

* The beast sense is more commonly spelled 獣.

### Etymology 6

* Kanji in this term
* 鹿
* ろく Grade: 4
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 鹿 (MC luwk). Compare Hokkien 鹿 (lo̍k).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) ろく [ròkú] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ɾo̞kɯ̟]

#### Noun

鹿(ろく) • (roku)
* deer
* venison or wild boar meat

### References

* 1 2 3 4 “鹿”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* 1 2 3 4 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 “鹿・鹿肉”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 “獣・猪・鹿”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
   * Ichiko, Teiji (1212) Hōjōki (Shintei), Iwanami Shoten, published 1989, →ISBN
   * Nishio, Minoru (1957) Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Hōjōki, Tsurezuregusa, Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 鹿 (MC luwk). Recorded as Middle Korean 록〮 (lwók) (Yale: lwok) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 鹿 (eumhun 사슴 록 (saseum rok), word-initial (South Korea) 사슴 녹 (saseum nok))
* hanja form of 록/녹 (“deer”)

#### Compounds

* 녹각 (鹿角, nokgak)
* 녹용 (鹿茸, nogyong)
* 순록 (馴鹿, sullok)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

鹿: Hán Nôm readings: lộc, lê
* chữ Hán form of lộc (“deer”).

#### Compounds

* 馴鹿 (tuần lộc)