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Kotomora

壖

open space along water

Strokes17

Readings

On'yomi

  • ゼン
  • ネン

Kun'yomi

  • あきち

Meaning

壖 centers on an open, flat area beside water: a riverside or waterside space that is clear and unused.

Study

Etymology

壖 combines 土 (earth, ground) with 需, which likely contributes the sound. The character refers to a flat earthen area by water, but the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 土 is earth or ground, and the right side 需 looks like rain 雨 over a surface 而. Picture a flat, open stretch of ground by the water where rain falls freely, creating an open space along the river.

Reading mnemonic

For ゼン, imagine a Zen garden beside a river: Zen -> ゼン, and the open space along the water is as peaceful as a Zen garden.