圣
holy, sacred
Strokes5
Readings
On'yomi
- コツ
- クツ
- コチ
- セイ
Kun'yomi
- たがや.す
Meaning
圣 centers on the idea of holiness and sacredness, describing something set apart as pure or divine.
Study
Etymology
圣 is a simplified variant of 聖, which originally combined 耳 (ear) and 呈 (to present) to suggest hearing and presenting wisdom, hence sacredness. The modern 圣 form is a shorthand that retains the lower 土 and upper 又, but its exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 又 looks like a hand reaching down, and the bottom 土 is earth. Picture a hand blessing the earth, making it holy and sacred.
Reading mnemonic
For コツ, imagine a holy relic made of bone (骨, コツ) being unearthed from the sacred earth: 骨 -> コツ, and the hand lifts it reverently.