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Kotomora

刱

establish, create, knife cut

Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • ソウ
  • ショウ

Kun'yomi

  • はじ.める
  • きず.つく

Meaning

刱 centers on the act of bringing something into being: establishing or creating. The 'knife cut' sense is a specific physical application of that creative or initiating action.

Study

Etymology

The exact historical development of 刱 is uncertain. It visually combines 井 (well) and 刂 (knife), but the original semantic or phonetic motivation is not clearly established.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a well 井 being cut open with a knife 刂 to establish a new water source. The act of cutting creates something new.

Reading mnemonic

For ソウ, imagine the sound of a saw cutting through wood to create something: saw -> ソウ, and the knife 刂 establishes a new shape.