緜
cotton
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- メン
Kun'yomi
- わた
- つら.なる
Meaning
緜 centers on cotton as a soft, fibrous material. The meaning is straightforward and concrete, without major abstract extensions.
Study
Etymology
緜 is the older form of 綿. It combines 帛 (silk cloth) and 系 (thread), suggesting a connection to textile fibers. The modern simplified form 綿 replaces 帛 with 糸.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 帛 suggests cloth, and the right side 系 suggests thread. Picture soft cotton fibers being spun into thread and woven into cloth.
Reading mnemonic
For メン, imagine a man wearing a cotton shirt: man -> メン, and the shirt is made of soft cotton.