媼
mother, grandma, old woman
Readings
On'yomi
- オウ
Kun'yomi
- おうな
Meaning
媼 centers on an older maternal figure: a mother, grandmother, or elderly woman. The meanings are closely related, all pointing to a respected older female family member.
Most common words using 媼
Study
Etymology
媼 combines 女 (woman) with a phonetic component historically associated with warmth or enclosure. The exact origin of the right side is uncertain, but the character likely developed as a phono-semantic compound for an older woman.
Meaning mnemonic
A woman 女 beside a shape that looks like a warm sun 日 over a dish 皿: picture a grandmother serving warm food, the classic image of an old woman caring for her family.
Reading mnemonic
For オウ, imagine the old woman saying 'Oh!' (オウ) in surprise when she sees her grandchildren. The 'Oh!' sound cues オウ while the grandmother figure ties it to the meaning.