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Kotomora

剿

destroy

Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ソウ
  • ショウ

Kun'yomi

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Meaning

剿 centers on forceful elimination: destroying or wiping out something completely.

Study

Etymology

剿 combines 巢 (nest) with 刂 (knife), suggesting the idea of cutting down or destroying a nest. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component combination likely expresses wiping out or exterminating.

Meaning mnemonic

A knife 刂 is used to destroy a nest 巢, wiping out everything inside. This is total destruction.

Reading mnemonic

For ソウ, imagine a saw cutting through a nest: saw -> ソウ, and the nest is destroyed.