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Kotomora

苜

clover, medic

Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • モク
  • ボク

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

苜 centers on small herbaceous plants, specifically clover and medic, which are low-growing leafy plants often used as fodder or ground cover.

Study

Etymology

苜 combines the grass radical 艹 with 目, but the historical reason for this combination is uncertain. It may have originally been a phono-semantic compound, but the modern form does not clearly reflect a phonetic role for 目.

Meaning mnemonic

The grass radical 艹 sits above an eye 目. Imagine looking over a field of clover and medic with your eyes, the small leaves forming a green carpet.

Reading mnemonic

For モク, picture a mock clover made of paper: mock -> モク, and your eye spots the fake clover among the real grass.