嘗
once, before, formerly, ever, never, ex-, lick, lap up, burn up, taste, undergo, underrate, despise
Readings
On'yomi
- ショウ
- ジョウ
Kun'yomi
- かつ.て
- こころ.みる
- な.める
Meaning
嘗 centers on direct personal experience: tasting or licking something to know it, and by extension having done something before. The temporal meanings (once, formerly, ever, never) grow from the idea of having undergone an experience, while the negative senses (underrate, despise) are less common and may be context-dependent.
Most common words using 嘗
- 大嘗祭だいじょうさい
first ceremonial offering of rice by newly enthroned Emperor
- 新嘗祭にいなめさい
ceremonial offering to the deities by the Emperor of newly-harvested rice
- 臥薪嘗胆がしんしょうたん
going through thick and thin to attain one's objective; enduring unspeakable hardships for the sake of vengeance
- 嘗めなめ
lick
- 嘗めてかかるなめてかかる
to look down on (someone); to make fun of; to put down; to treat with contempt; to underestimate
- 嘗糞しょうふん
shamelessly flattering; brown-nosing; licking excrement
- 垢嘗あかなめ
akaname; Japanese creature said to lick filth in bathrooms
- 大嘗会だいじょうえ
banquet on the occasion of the first ceremonial offering of rice by the newly enthroned emperor
- 新嘗にいなめ
ceremonial offering to the deities by the Emperor of newly-harvested rice
- 神嘗祭かんなめさい
offering of the year's new rice harvest (imperial festival, October 17)
Study
Etymology
嘗 originally depicted tasting food, combining 旨 (delicious) with a phonetic element that also suggested covering or putting in the mouth. The modern form retains 旨 at the bottom, while the upper part is a simplification of the older phonetic component.
Meaning mnemonic
The bottom 旨 means delicious. The top looks like a cover being lifted. Imagine lifting a lid to taste a delicious dish: that act of tasting is 嘗, and from tasting comes the idea of having experienced something before.
Reading mnemonic
For ショウ, imagine a chef saying 'show' as they lift the lid to let you taste the delicious dish: show -> ショウ, and you experience the flavor.