殰
an abortion, stillborn
Strokes19
Readings
On'yomi
- トク
Kun'yomi
- やぶ.れる
Meaning
殰 centers on a tragic failure of birth: a fetus that dies before or during delivery, resulting in an abortion or stillborn child.
Study
Etymology
殰 combines 歹 (death) with 賣, which likely contributes the sound and possibly the idea of something being ruined or spoiled, fitting the meaning of a failed birth.
Meaning mnemonic
The death radical 歹 beside 賣 (sell) suggests a tragic loss: a baby that was never born alive, like a stillborn or aborted fetus.
Reading mnemonic
For トク, imagine a doctor saying 'talk' to the grieving parents: talk -> トク, as they discuss the stillborn child.