孒
larvae of the mosquito
Strokes3
Readings
On'yomi
- ケツ
- カチ
- キョウ
- ク
- クツ
Kun'yomi
- ひだりのうでがない
- みじか.い
Meaning
孒 refers specifically to the larvae of mosquitoes, a very narrow biological term. It has no broader conceptual center beyond this single meaning.
Study
Etymology
The origin of 孒 is uncertain. It may be a pictographic representation of a wriggling larva, but no clear historical development is established.
Meaning mnemonic
The shape suggests a tiny, curled creature with a small dot for a head: a mosquito larva wriggling in water.
Reading mnemonic
For ケツ, imagine a mosquito larva that looks like a tiny ketchup squirt: ketchup -> ケツ, and the larva is as small as a drop.