耏
whiskers
Strokes9
Readings
On'yomi
- ジ
- ニ
- ダイ
- ナイ
Kun'yomi
- ほおひげ
Meaning
耏 centers on facial hair, specifically whiskers. It is a rare character with a narrow, concrete meaning.
Study
Etymology
耏 combines 而 (originally a pictograph of a beard or whiskers) with 彡 (hair or bristles), reinforcing the idea of facial hair. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the components visually suggest whiskers.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 而 looks like a face with hanging whiskers, and the right side 彡 adds extra hair strokes. Together they emphasize whiskers.
Reading mnemonic
For ジ, imagine a man with long whiskers named Gee: Gee -> ジ, and his whiskers are his most noticeable feature.