畧
abbreviation, omission, outline, shorten, capture, plunder
Readings
On'yomi
- リャク
Kun'yomi
- ほぼ
- おか.す
- おさ.める
- はかりごと
- はか.る
- はぶ.く
Meaning
畧 centers on reducing something to its essential form: abbreviating, omitting, or outlining. The capture and plunder senses extend this idea to taking something by force, stripping it away.
Study
Etymology
畧 is the older form of 略. It combines 田 (field) with a lower component that likely contributed the sound and the idea of marking boundaries or simplifying. The exact historical development of the lower part is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 田 is a field, and the bottom looks like a person walking away. Imagine a farmer walking through a field, leaving only an outline of the path—abbreviating the full picture. That same idea of taking only the essential part extends to capturing or plundering.
Reading mnemonic
For リャク, picture a person making a quick outline of a field and saying 'ryak-ryak' as they sketch. The sound 'ryak' cues リャク while they abbreviate the scene.