夲
advance quickly, to go back and forth, origin, source
Strokes5
Readings
On'yomi
- ホン
Kun'yomi
- もと
Meaning
夲 centers on movement and origin: advancing quickly, going back and forth, or the source from which something comes. The meanings are loosely connected by the idea of a starting point or dynamic motion.
Study
Etymology
The historical development of 夲 is uncertain. It visually combines 大 and 十, but the exact origin and how these components relate to its meanings are unclear.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a person (大) running back and forth over a crossroads (十), advancing quickly from the origin point.
Reading mnemonic
For ホン, imagine a person running back to the origin of a book (本, ホン) at the crossroads: 本 -> ホン.