嚥
swallow
Readings
On'yomi
- エン
Kun'yomi
- の.む
Meaning
嚥 centers on the physical act of swallowing, moving something from the mouth down the throat.
Most common words using 嚥
- 嚥下えんげ
swallowing; deglutition
- 嚥下不能えんかふのう
aphagia; aglutition; acataposis
- 嚥下障害えんげしょうがい
dysphagia (symptom of difficulty in swallowing); dysphagy
- 老嚥ろうえん
presbyphagia
- 誤嚥ごえん
breathing in (of a foreign body, food, etc.); pulmonary aspiration; mis-swallowing; swallowing down the wrong pipe
- 誤嚥性肺炎ごえんせいはいえん
aspiration pneumonia
Study
Etymology
嚥 combines 口 (mouth) with 燕, which likely contributes the sound エン and may have originally depicted a swallow (bird) with an open mouth, reinforcing the swallowing meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
The mouth 口 on the left and the swallow-bird 燕 on the right suggest a bird using its mouth to swallow food. Picture a swallow gulping down an insect.
Reading mnemonic
For エン, imagine the swallow bird making an 'en' sound as it swallows: en -> エン, and the mouth closes around the food.