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Kotomora

蒋

reed

FrequencyTop 5,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ショウ
  • ソウ

Kun'yomi

  • まこも
  • はげ.ます

Meaning

蒋 refers to a type of reed, specifically the wild rice plant (Zizania latifolia) known as まこも in Japanese.

Study

Etymology

蒋 is a phono-semantic compound: the grass radical 艹 indicates a plant, while 将 likely contributes the sound. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The top grass radical 艹 shows it's a plant, and the bottom 将 looks like a general standing tall. Picture a general among the reeds, towering over the まこも grass.

Reading mnemonic

For ショウ, imagine a show of reeds swaying in the wind: show -> ショウ, and the general stands among them.