弩
bow (arrow)
Readings
On'yomi
- ド
Kun'yomi
- おおゆみ
- いしゆみ
Meaning
弩 centers on a large, powerful bow, specifically a crossbow-like weapon that shoots arrows. The meaning is straightforward: a bow for launching arrows.
Most common words using 弩
- 弩ど
crossbow
- 弩兵どへい
crossbowman; arbalist
- 弩砲どほう
ballista; springald
- 弩級どきゅう
dreadnought class (of warship)
- 弩級戦艦どきゅうせんかん
dreadnought (class of warships)
- 弩級艦どきゅうかん
dreadnought
- 強弩きょうど
strong bow; stiff bow
- 強弩の末魯縞に入る能わずきょうどのすえろこうにいるあたわず
even the strong will grow weak; (even an arrow fired from) a strong bow loses momentum until it cannot even penetrate a piece of thin silk from Lu
- 超弩級戦艦ちょうどきゅうせんかん
superdreadnought (class of warships)
- 超弩級艦ちょうどきゅうかん
superdreadnought
Study
Etymology
弩 combines 奴 (phonetic component, possibly suggesting strength or force) with 弓 (bow), indicating a type of bow. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it is a phono-semantic compound.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 奴 looks like a person straining, and the bottom 弓 is a bow. Imagine a strong person drawing a massive bow: that's a crossbow.
Reading mnemonic
For ド, picture a bow so powerful it makes a deep 'do' sound when released: do -> ド, the thrum of the bowstring.