萸
oleaster, river ginger tree
Readings
On'yomi
- ユ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
萸 refers to a specific plant: the oleaster or river ginger tree. The meaning is narrow and botanical, without a broader conceptual center.
Most common words using 萸
- 俵茱萸たわらぐみ
Elaeagnus multiflora var. hortensis (variety of goumi)
- 呉茱萸ごしゅゆ
Tetradium ruticarpum (species of deciduous trees)
- 唐茱萸とうぐみ
Elaeagnus multiflora var. hortensis (variety of goumi)
- 夏茱萸なつぐみ
goumi (species of oleaster, Elaeagnus multiflora); cherry silverberry
- 山茱萸さんしゅゆ
Asiatic dogwood (Cornus officinalis); Japanese cornel; Japanese cornelian-cherry
- 秋茱萸あきぐみ
autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata); Japanese silverberry; oleaster
- 苗代茱萸なわしろぐみ
silverthorn (species of oleaster, Elaeagnus pungens); thorny elaeagnus; thorny olive
Study
Etymology
萸 combines the plant radical 艹 with 臾, which likely contributes the sound ユ. The exact historical development of 臾 is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass top 艹 marks this as a plant. The bottom 臾 looks like a bundle of roots or branches, helping you remember it's a specific tree or shrub: the oleaster.
Reading mnemonic
For ユ, imagine you picking oleaster fruit from the tree: you -> ユ, and you harvest the plant.