羔
lamb
Strokes10
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- こひつじ
Meaning
羔 centers on a young sheep: a lamb. It refers specifically to the animal in its juvenile stage.
Study
Etymology
羔 combines 羊 (sheep) with 灬 (fire), suggesting a lamb cooked over fire. The character likely originated as a pictograph of a young sheep, with the fire component added later to specify the meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
The top part looks like a sheep (羊) with extra strokes, and the bottom is fire (灬). Picture a lamb being prepared over a fire: 羔 is a lamb.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, imagine a lamb coat (コート) keeping the young sheep warm: coat -> コウ, and the lamb wears it.