尨
shaggy hair or dog
Strokes7
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
Kun'yomi
- むくいぬ
Meaning
尨 centers on a shaggy, thick-haired appearance, especially of a dog. The meaning extends naturally to a shaggy dog itself.
Most common words using 尨
- 尨むく
shaggy hair
Study
Etymology
尨 combines 尤 (a variant of 尢, meaning lame or bent) with 彡 (hair or bristles), suggesting a shaggy or hairy appearance. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component combination likely depicts thick, unkempt hair.
Meaning mnemonic
The outer shape 尤 looks like a bent, furry creature, and the inner 彡 adds extra shaggy hair strokes. Picture a dog with such thick, messy fur that it looks bent under the weight of its own coat.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine a shaggy dog wearing a big bow on its head: bow -> ボウ, and the bow sits on top of all that messy hair.