瘟
contagious disease
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- オン
Kun'yomi
- えやみ
Meaning
瘟 centers on a spreading illness that affects many people: a contagious disease or epidemic.
Most common words using 瘟
- 瘟疫うんえき
fever epidemic
Study
Etymology
瘟 combines the sickness radical 疒 with 昷, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to warmth or brewing, suggesting a feverish illness that spreads.
Meaning mnemonic
The sickness enclosure 疒 wraps around 昷, like a warm, brewing illness trapped inside the body, spreading contagion.
Reading mnemonic
For オン, imagine an 'on' switch that turns on a contagious disease: on -> オン, and the sickness spreads when the switch is flipped.