嫗
old woman, mother
Strokes14
Readings
On'yomi
- ウ
- オウ
Kun'yomi
- あたた.める
- おうな
Meaning
嫗 centers on an older woman, especially in a nurturing or maternal role. The meaning extends naturally to 'mother' as the archetypal caring elder.
Most common words using 嫗
- 嫗おうな
elderly woman
Study
Etymology
嫗 combines 女 (woman) with 區, which likely contributes the sound and may have originally suggested a bent or aged figure. The character specifically denotes an old woman or mother.
Meaning mnemonic
A woman 女 beside the complex 區, which looks like a sheltered space with many boxes. Imagine an old woman who has lived long enough to fill many boxes with memories, now a caring mother figure.
Reading mnemonic
For ウ, picture the old woman softly saying 'oooh' as she warms something (あたた.める) for her child: 'oooh' -> ウ.