In China's geomantic culture, there is a saying that "birds speak ill words". It is said that if you build a house or a cemetery somewhere, when some birds around you are particularly crisp, it can be considered as a symbol of good luck, indicating that the feng shui here is better; On the contrary, if a bird makes a harsh cry, it is considered suffocating and not conducive to life and peace.
Different birds have specific meanings in different places. For example, in the southern countryside, the cuckoo's singing is regarded as a sign of spring, which means that with the arrival of spring, everything will revive. So every spring, people expect the cuckoo's "dadada" cry to welcome the new season.
2. Bird song and literature
In ancient poetry, bird singing is often used by poets to describe a fresh and natural artistic conception. For example, Du Fu's "Delighting in Rain on a Spring Night": "Smell the dragon's water and permeate the lotus flower. This is a blessed country and has won the heritage of the world. " In this poem, the poet heard the cuckoo cry on the mountain behind him and thought it was a "blessed land" with good feng shui. He immediately reveled in this natural environment and was amazed.
Another example is Su Shi's "Jiangchengzi? "Hunting in Mizhou": "Pity the grass, there are orioles singing in the trees. Spring tide brings rain late, and there is no boat crossing in the wild. "In this poem, the poet heard the chirping of an oriole, and had a perceptual reaction and personal experience, which naturally reflected the aesthetic taste of China's classical literature.
3. Bird song and linguistics
Studies show that people also use birds to describe things in many languages. For example, the "chirp" in Chinese can mean the sound of birds chirping or people making noise. In English, the word "chirp" can mean not only the sound of birds, but also a brisk and pleasant conversation.
More and more linguists believe that this kind of birdsong in language should be regarded as a symbolic language in the development of language. Because birds are closely related to human life, this way of "replacing language with birdsong" appears in language instead of meaningless.
4. The zoological significance of birdsong.
In biology and zoology, the call of birds is also of great significance. For example, birds make different calls to attract mates or protect their territory; Or birds in different habitats will make different calls.
In addition, the influence of buildings and roads on the ecological environment of birds will also change the songs of birds. Therefore, through the singing of birds, we can also indirectly reflect the changes in the surrounding environment. For example, the sudden decrease in the frequency of some birds' calls may mean great changes in the surrounding environment, such as the acceleration of urbanization and a large number of deforestation.