淪
sink, ripple
Strokes11
Readings
On'yomi
- リン
- ロン
Kun'yomi
- しず.む
Meaning
淪 centers on water-related downward or outward motion: sinking into water or spreading out as ripples. Both meanings share the idea of water surface disturbance.
Most common words using 淪
Study
Etymology
淪 combines 氵 (water) with 侖, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to order or arrangement, but the exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 plus 侖 (which looks like a container with a lid) suggests something being covered by water: sinking down or causing ripples on the surface.
Reading mnemonic
For リン, imagine a stone sinking into a pond and making a ringing ripple: ring -> リン, and the water ripples outward.