媧
mythological snail goddess
Strokes12
Readings
On'yomi
- カイ
- ケ
- カ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
媧 refers to a mythological snail goddess, a specific figure from Chinese legend. The meaning is narrow and tied to that single mythological reference.
Most common words using 媧
- 女媧じょか
Nüwa (mother goddess of Chinese mythology); Nügua
Study
Etymology
媧 combines 女 (woman) with 咼, which likely contributes the sound. The character was created to name the mythological goddess Nüwa (女媧), often associated with creation and sometimes depicted with a snail-like body.
Meaning mnemonic
The woman radical 女 beside 咼 suggests a female figure. Picture a goddess emerging from a spiral snail shell, her form half-woman, half-snail.
Reading mnemonic
For カイ, imagine the snail goddess gliding over calm kai (海, sea) waters: kai -> カイ, and the sea snail goddess rules the shore.