拉
Latin, kidnap, crush
Readings
On'yomi
- ラツ
- ラ
- ロウ
Kun'yomi
- らっ.する
- ひし.ぐ
- くだ.く
Meaning
拉 centers on forceful physical action: crushing, breaking, or seizing someone against their will. The 'Latin' sense is a phonetic loan unrelated to the core meaning.
Most common words using 拉
- 伊拉久イラク
Iraq
- 拉致らち
taking captive; carrying away; kidnapping; kidnaping; abduction
- 拉げるひしげる
to be crushed; to be squashed (flat)
- 拉致問題らちもんだい
abduction issue (esp. of those Japanese abducted by North Korea)
- 取り拉ぐとりひしぐ
to crush
- 拉ぐひしぐ
to crush; to squash
- 拉致るらちる
to kidnap; to abduct
- 拉致監禁らちかんきん
abduction and confinement (esp. unlawful)
- 拉致被害者らちひがいしゃ
abduction victims; abductees
- 拉葡日対訳辞書ラポにちたいやくじしょ
Dictionarium Latino Lusitanicum ac Iaponicum (1595 Latin-Portuguese-Japanese dictionary)
- 拉薩ラサ
Lhasa (China)
Study
Etymology
拉 combines 扌 (hand) with 立, which likely contributes the sound. The original meaning is to pull or drag, later extending to crushing and kidnapping.
Meaning mnemonic
A hand 扌 beside something standing 立: imagine a hand grabbing a standing person and crushing them down or dragging them away.
Reading mnemonic
For ラツ, picture a hand grabbing someone so roughly that it makes a 'rats!' sound as they are crushed: rats -> ラツ.