瀁
drift, flow, overflowing, vast
Strokes18
Readings
On'yomi
- ヨウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
瀁 centers on water in expansive, unconfined motion: drifting, flowing, overflowing, or spreading out vastly. The meanings share the idea of water moving freely without fixed boundaries.
Most common words using 瀁
- 滉瀁こうよう
wide and deep (of a body of water)
Study
Etymology
瀁 combines the water radical 氵 with 養, which likely contributes the sound ヨウ. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the structure suggests a phono-semantic compound where 氵 indicates water and 養 gives the reading.
Meaning mnemonic
The water radical 氵 beside 養 (which can suggest nourishing or fostering) creates an image of water being nurtured until it overflows and drifts freely, becoming vast.
Reading mnemonic
For ヨウ, imagine a vast ocean where you drift: you -> ヨウ, floating on the overflowing water of 瀁.