蒙
ignorance, darkness, get, receive, be subjected to, sustain, Mongolia
Readings
On'yomi
- モウ
- ボウ
Kun'yomi
- こうむ.る
- おお.う
- くら.い
Meaning
蒙 centers on being covered or enveloped, leading to darkness and ignorance (a mental covering), as well as receiving or sustaining something that comes over you. The Mongolia sense is a phonetic loan used in country names.
Most common words using 蒙
20 of 37- 啓蒙けいもうN1
enlightenment; illumination
- 蒙もう
ignorance
- 満蒙まんもう
Manchuria and Inner Mongolia
- 蒙昧もうまい
ignorant; unenlightened; uncivilized; uncivilised
- 蒙古斑もうこはん
Mongolian spot; Mongolian blue spot; congenital dermal melanocytosis
- 蒙古もうこ
Mongolia (region); Greater Mongolia; Mongolian Plateau
- 内蒙ないもう
Inner Mongolia
- 内蒙古うちもうこ
Inner Mongolia (China)
- 内蒙古自治区うちもうこじちく
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (China)
- 啓蒙主義けいもうしゅぎ
illuminism; enlightenment
- 啓蒙専制君主けいもうせんせいくんしゅ
enlightened despot
- 啓蒙思想けいもうしそう
the philosophy of the European Enlightenment
- 啓蒙思潮けいもうしちょう
enlightenment movement; the Enlightenment
- 啓蒙書けいもうしょ
book for novices; general introduction to a subject
- 啓蒙活動けいもうかつどう
information campaign; awareness program
- 啓蒙的けいもうてき
enlightening
- 啓蒙絶対君主けいもうぜったいくんしゅ
enlightened absolutist
- 啓蒙運動けいもううんどう
enlightenment movement; the Enlightenment
- 外蒙古がいもうこ
Outer Mongolia
- 山水蒙さんすいもう
meng (hexagram 4 of the I Ching: youthful folly)
Study
Etymology
蒙 originally depicted a plant covering something, with 艹 (grass) over 冡 (a cover over a pig), conveying the idea of covering or enveloping. The meanings of ignorance and darkness derive from being covered or obscured. The use for Mongolia is a phonetic loan.
Meaning mnemonic
Grass 艹 covers a pig 豕 under a roof 冖, hiding it completely. This covering leads to darkness and ignorance, and also to receiving something that comes over you.
Reading mnemonic
For モウ, imagine a cow (モウ) covered in grass, mooing in the dark ignorance of its surroundings: moo -> モウ.