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Kotomora

鴞

owl

Strokes16

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヨウ
  • キョウ

Kun'yomi

  • ふくろう

Meaning

鴞 centers on a specific kind of bird: an owl. The meaning is narrow and refers directly to the animal.

Study

Etymology

鴞 combines 号 (likely phonetic) with 鳥 (bird), forming a character for a bird whose name sounds like 号. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 号 can be thought of as a call sign, and the right side 鳥 is a bird. Picture an owl hooting its distinctive call: 号 + 鳥 = the calling bird, an owl.

Reading mnemonic

For ヨウ, imagine an owl letting out a long, echoing 'yoooou' hoot through the night: yoooou -> ヨウ, the owl's call.