鰒
abalone, puffer fish
Strokes20
Readings
On'yomi
- フク
Kun'yomi
- あわび
- ふぐ
Meaning
鰒 centers on two specific sea creatures: abalone and puffer fish. These are distinct animals, but the kanji covers both, likely due to historical usage overlap.
Study
Etymology
鰒 combines 魚 (fish) with 复, which likely contributes the sound. The character was used historically for both abalone and puffer fish, though the exact semantic development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is 魚 (fish), and the right side 复 looks like a complex shell or a puffed shape. Picture a fish that can be a shelled abalone or a puffed-up puffer fish.
Reading mnemonic
For フク, imagine a puffer fish puffing up and making a 'fuku' sound as it inflates: fuku -> フク, and the fish shape on the left reminds you it's a sea creature.