衒
show off, display, pretend
Readings
On'yomi
- ゲン
- ケン
Kun'yomi
- てら.う
Meaning
衒 centers on putting something forward for others to see, often with an element of pretense: showing off, displaying conspicuously, or pretending to have qualities one does not truly possess.
Most common words using 衒
- 女衒ぜげん
someone who makes their living selling women into prostitution; pimp; procurer
- 衒いてらい
affectation; pretension
- 衒うてらう
to show off; to parade; to pretend
- 衒学げんがく
pedantry; display of one's learning
- 衒学的げんがくてき
pedantic
- 衒学者げんがくしゃ
pedant; bookworm
- 衒学趣味げんがくしゅみ
pedantry; display of one's learning; being of a pedantic disposition
- 衒気げんき
affectation; ostentation; vanity
- 衒耀げんよう
false glitter
Study
Etymology
衒 combines 行 (to go, action) with 玄 (dark, mysterious), suggesting the act of parading something obscure or putting on a display. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the phono-semantic structure is plausible.
Meaning mnemonic
Inside the 行 enclosure (like a street or stage), the mysterious 玄 is put on display. Imagine someone walking down a street showing off a dark, mysterious object to pretend they have special knowledge.
Reading mnemonic
For ゲン, picture a show-off pretending to be a genie (ゲン) emerging from a lamp on a busy street. The genie's flashy display cues ゲン while the person shows off.