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Kotomora

蠎

python, boa constrictor

Strokes17

Readings

On'yomi

  • ボウ
  • モウ

Kun'yomi

  • うわばみ
  • おろち

Meaning

蠎 centers on large constricting snakes: pythons and boa constrictors. The two meanings are closely related as heavy-bodied non-venomous snakes that squeeze prey.

Study

Etymology

蠎 combines the insect/creature radical 虫 with 莾, which likely contributes the sound. The character is used for large snakes, but the exact historical development of the right component is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 虫 signals a creeping creature, and the right side 莾 looks like a thick, tangled shape. Picture a massive python coiled in dense undergrowth: 蠎 is that python.

Reading mnemonic

For ボウ, imagine a python squeezing its prey with a low, booming sound: bow -> ボウ, like the deep vibration of a constricting snake.