殭
stiff corpse
Strokes17
Readings
On'yomi
- キョウ
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- かた.くなる
Meaning
殭 centers on a corpse that has become stiff and rigid, as in rigor mortis. The single given meaning "stiff corpse" is narrow and concrete, with no clear broader conceptual cluster.
Study
Etymology
殭 combines 歹 (death, corpse) with 畺, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to stiffness or rigidity. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 歹 shows a death-related context, and the right side 畺 looks like a rigid, blocky structure. Picture a corpse that has become as stiff and unyielding as that blocky shape.
Reading mnemonic
For キョウ, imagine a stiff corpse in Kyoto: Kyoto -> キョウ, and the ancient capital's cold winters make the body rigid.