栂
hemlock, (kokuji)
Readings
On'yomi
—
Kun'yomi
- つが
- とが
Meaning
栂 is a Japanese kokuji for the hemlock tree, specifically the species Tsuga. Its meaning is tied directly to that tree.
Most common words using 栂
- 栂つが
southern Japanese hemlock (species of conifer native to Japan, Tsuga sieboldii)
- 栂桜つがざくら
mountain heath (Phyllodoce nipponica)
- 栂椹とがさわら
Japanese Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga japonica)
- 米栂こめつが
northern Japanese hemlock (Tsuga diversifolia); hemlock spruce
- 米栂べいつが
western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
- 青の栂桜あおのつがざくら
Aleutian mountainheath (Phyllodoce aleutica)
Study
Etymology
栂 is a Japanese kokuji created by combining 木 (tree) with 母 (mother), possibly chosen for its sound contribution (つが/とが) to represent the hemlock tree. The exact reasoning behind the component choice is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
A tree (木) that is like a mother (母) to the forest, providing shelter and shade: the hemlock tree.
Reading mnemonic
For つが, imagine a hemlock tree with two (つ) moth (が) cocoons hanging from its branches: つが.