獻
offer, present, show, display
Strokes20
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
- コン
Kun'yomi
- たてまつ.る
Meaning
獻 centers on formally giving or putting something forward for others to see: offering, presenting, showing, or displaying.
Study
Etymology
獻 combines 鬳 (a type of ancient cooking vessel) with 犬 (dog), originally referring to offering a dog as a sacrifice in a ritual vessel. Over time, the meaning broadened to any formal offering or presentation.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 鬳 looks like a ceremonial vessel on a stand, and the right side 犬 is a dog. Picture offering a dog in an ancient ritual vessel to present it to the gods.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, imagine a kennel (ケン) where a dog is presented for offering: kennel -> ケン, and the dog 犬 is the offering.