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Kotomora

牟

pupil (eye), moo (cow sound)

StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes6

Readings

On'yomi

  • ボウ
  • ム

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

牟 centers on the idea of a cow's sound (moo) and, by extension, the pupil of the eye, which resembles a dark, round shape like a cow's eye or the sound itself.

Most common words using 牟

  • 釈迦牟尼しゃかむに

    Gautama Buddha; Shakyamuni; the historical Buddha (5th century BCE?)

  • 大穴牟遅命おおあなむちのみこと

    Okuninushi; deity of magic and medicine later viewed as equivalent to Daikokuten and celebrated at Izumo Grand Shrine

  • 牟子むし

    conical hat with a veil

  • 牟尼むに

    muni (Indian ascetic or sage)

Explore all words using 牟 →

Study

Etymology

牟 is thought to combine 厶 (a pictograph of a cow's head or horns) with 牛 (cow), reinforcing the bovine association. The meaning 'pupil' may derive from the round, dark shape of a cow's eye.

Meaning mnemonic

The top 厶 looks like a cow's horns, and the bottom 牛 is a cow. Together they make the sound 'moo' and also suggest the round pupil of a cow's eye.

Reading mnemonic

For ボウ, imagine a cow mooing with a deep, low 'bow' sound: bow -> ボウ, and the cow's pupil stares back at you.