orthodox, exquisite, refined

雅 is composed of 牙 (tooth) and 隹 (short-tailed bird). Here 牙 functions as an onomatopoeic element, while 隹 represents a small bird. Therefore, the original meaning of 雅 is a bird whose call sounds like the pronunciation of 牙, but this meaning was later taken over by 鴉. In ancient times the crow was widely regarded as an auspicious and sacred bird, carrying a sense of beauty and excellence. From this, 雅 came to mean orthodox, refined, or elegant.