閑古鳥

Etymology
First attested in the  of 1603.

Analyzable as a compound of.

The kanko initial portion is apparently a shift in pronunciation from, and is likely an example of both meaning-based and sound-based  for poetic purposes, from the lonesome sound of the cuckoo's call, as alluded to in poetry by.


 * From 's, 1691
 * From 's, 1691

While kanko-dori could be viewed as a shift from, this latter term is not attested until 1686.

Noun

 * 1)  a cuckoo
 * 2)   loneliness, dreariness, desolateness
 * 1)   loneliness, dreariness, desolateness