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Kotomora

桕

tallow tree

Strokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • キュウ

Kun'yomi

  • ぶな

Meaning

桕 refers specifically to the tallow tree, a tree whose seeds are used to produce vegetable tallow.

Study

Etymology

桕 is a phono-semantic compound: 木 (tree) provides the meaning, and 臼 likely contributes the sound. The character was created specifically for the tallow tree.

Meaning mnemonic

A tree (木) with a mortar-like shape (臼) on the right: imagine the tree's seeds being crushed in a mortar to extract tallow.

Reading mnemonic

For キュウ, picture a tallow tree shaped like the letter Q: Q -> キュウ, and the tree's seeds are used to make tallow.