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Kotomora

蝘

gecko, kind of cicada

Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • エン
  • オン

Kun'yomi

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Meaning

蝘 refers to small creatures: a gecko or a kind of cicada. The meanings are linked by the idea of a small, often wall-clinging or tree-dwelling animal.

Study

Etymology

蝘 is a phono-semantic compound: the insect radical 虫 indicates a small creature, while 匽 likely contributes the sound. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The insect radical 虫 on the left suggests a bug-like animal. The right side 匽 looks like a hiding place: imagine a gecko or cicada tucked into a crevice.

Reading mnemonic

For エン, picture a gecko crawling on the wall of an English garden: the 'en' in English cues エン, and the gecko is the small creature.