剱
sword
Strokes11
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
Kun'yomi
- つるぎ
Meaning
剱 centers on a sword: a bladed weapon used for cutting or thrusting.
Study
Etymology
剱 is a variant form of 剣, combining 㑒 (a phonetic element) with 刃 (blade) to express a sword. The exact historical development of the left component is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 㑒 looks like a person with a mouth, and the right side 刃 is a blade. Imagine a person holding a sharp blade: that's a sword.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, picture a swordsman named Ken wielding this blade: Ken -> ケン, and his sword is 剱.