猩
orangutan, dark red
Readings
On'yomi
- ショウ
- セイ
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- しょうじょう
Meaning
猩 centers on the orangutan, a large reddish ape. The color sense 'dark red' is a direct extension of the orangutan's distinctive fur color.
Most common words using 猩
- 猩々しょうじょう
orangutan
- 猩猩蠅しょうじょうばえ
fruit fly (any insect of family Drosophilidae); vinegar fly; pomace fly; banana fly
- 大猩々おおしょうじょう
gorilla
- 猩々紅冠鳥しょうじょうこうかんちょう
northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis); common cardinal
- 猩々緋しょうじょうひ
scarlet
- 猩々袴しょうじょうばかま
Oriental swamp pink (Heloniopsis orientalis)
- 猩猩朱鷺しょうじょうとき
scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber)
- 猩猩草しょうじょうそう
Mexican fireplant (species of poinsettia, Euphorbia heterophylla)
- 猩猩蝦しょうじょうえび
kangaroo shrimp (Glyphus marsupialis)
- 猩紅熱しょうこうねつ
scarlet fever
- 黒猩々くろしょうじょう
chimpanzee
Study
Etymology
猩 combines the animal radical 犭 with 星, which likely provides the sound. The character was created to name the orangutan, with the color meaning derived from the animal's reddish hair.
Meaning mnemonic
An animal 犭 with a star 星 on its chest: picture a reddish orangutan proudly showing a star-shaped patch of dark red fur.
Reading mnemonic
For ショウ, imagine a show starring an orangutan: show -> ショウ, and the star orangutan shows off its dark red fur.