狛
archaic part of Korea, lion-dog shrine guards
FrequencyTop 5,000Strokes8
Readings
On'yomi
- ハク
Kun'yomi
- こま
Meaning
狛 centers on a specific archaic reference to a region of Korea, and by extension the mythical lion-dog statues that guard shrines, which are associated with that origin.
Most common words using 狛
- 狛犬こまいぬ
(stone) guardian lion-dogs at a Shinto shrine
Study
Etymology
狛 combines the animal radical 犭 with 白, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character originally referred to a region in Korea and later came to denote the lion-dog guardian statues associated with that region.
Meaning mnemonic
A beast 犭 that is white 白 and stands guard: imagine a white lion-dog statue protecting a shrine.
Reading mnemonic
For ハク, picture a white lion-dog statue that looks like a hawk: hawk -> ハク, and the hawk-like guardian stands watch.