犄
animal horns
Strokes12
Readings
On'yomi
- イ
- キ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
犄 centers on animal horns, specifically the hard, pointed growths on the heads of cattle and similar animals.
Study
Etymology
犄 combines 牜 (cow) with 奇, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to the idea of something odd or singular, possibly referring to the distinctive shape of horns.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 牜 is a cow, and the right side 奇 looks like a strange, pointed shape. Imagine a cow with unusually large, strange horns: 犄 means animal horns.
Reading mnemonic
For イ, picture an eagle (イーグル) swooping down to grab a cow by its horns: eagle -> イ, and the cow's horns are the target.