孀
widow
Strokes20
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- やもめ
Meaning
孀 centers on a woman who has lost her husband: a widow.
Study
Etymology
孀 combines 女 (woman) with 霜, which likely contributes the sound and may evoke the cold, lonely state of widowhood.
Meaning mnemonic
A woman 女 beside frost 霜 suggests the cold loneliness of a widow.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a widow sewing alone in a cold room: sew -> ソウ, and the frost outside mirrors her solitude.