茱
river ginger tree, oleaster
Readings
On'yomi
- シュ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
茱 refers to specific aromatic plants: the river ginger tree and the oleaster. Its meaning is narrow and botanical, without a broad abstract core.
Most common words using 茱
- 俵茱萸たわらぐみ
Elaeagnus multiflora var. hortensis (variety of goumi)
- 呉茱萸ごしゅゆ
Tetradium ruticarpum (species of deciduous trees)
- 唐茱萸とうぐみ
Elaeagnus multiflora var. hortensis (variety of goumi)
- 夏茱萸なつぐみ
goumi (species of oleaster, Elaeagnus multiflora); cherry silverberry
- 山茱萸さんしゅゆ
Asiatic dogwood (Cornus officinalis); Japanese cornel; Japanese cornelian-cherry
- 秋茱萸あきぐみ
autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata); Japanese silverberry; oleaster
- 苗代茱萸なわしろぐみ
silverthorn (species of oleaster, Elaeagnus pungens); thorny elaeagnus; thorny olive
Study
Etymology
茱 combines the plant radical 艹 with 朱, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character is used for specific plant names.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass top 艹 marks this as a plant, and the bottom 朱 (vermillion) hints at the reddish berries of the oleaster or the aromatic quality of river ginger. Picture a vermillion-tinged plant used for its fragrance.
Reading mnemonic
For シュ, imagine a shoe-shaped leaf on the plant: shoe -> シュ, and you pick the aromatic leaf to put in your shoe for a fresh scent.