猢
kind of monkey found in W. China
Strokes12
Readings
On'yomi
- コ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
猢 refers to a specific kind of monkey found in western China. Its meaning is narrow and zoological, without broader abstract extensions.
Study
Etymology
猢 combines the animal radical 犭 with 胡, which likely provides the sound コ. The character was created to name a specific monkey species from western China.
Meaning mnemonic
The animal radical 犭 hints at a creature, and 胡 suggests a western region. Picture a distinctive monkey from the western mountains of China.
Reading mnemonic
For コ, imagine a small monkey making a soft 'co' call in the trees: co -> コ, the sound of the western Chinese monkey.