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Kotomora

艢

bow, stern

Strokes19

Readings

On'yomi

  • ロ
  • ショウ
  • ゾウ

Kun'yomi

  • とも
  • ほばしら

Meaning

艢 centers on the two ends of a boat: the bow and the stern. It refers to the structural front and rear parts of a vessel.

Study

Etymology

艢 combines 舟 (boat) with 嗇, which likely contributes the sound. The exact historical development of 嗇 as a phonetic component is uncertain, but the character is used to denote parts of a ship.

Meaning mnemonic

The boat radical 舟 on the left is paired with 嗇 on the right. Imagine a boat where the front (bow) and back (stern) are marked by a distinctive structure that looks like the complex shape of 嗇.

Reading mnemonic

For ロ, picture a low bow of a boat dipping into the water: low -> ロ, and the boat's bow and stern are clearly visible.