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Kotomora

蒯

rush, of which various things are made

Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • カイ
  • ケ

Kun'yomi

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Meaning

蒯 centers on a type of rush plant used to make various items. The meaning is narrow and concrete: a specific plant material.

Study

Etymology

蒯 combines the plant radical ⺾ with a phonetic component that originally represented a type of rush. The exact historical development of the right side is uncertain, but the character is consistently associated with the rush plant.

Meaning mnemonic

The top ⺾ (plant) and the right 刂 (knife) suggest cutting a rush plant to make things. Picture harvesting rushes with a knife to weave mats or baskets.

Reading mnemonic

For カイ, imagine a person named Kai weaving rush mats by the river: Kai -> カイ, and the rushes are cut with a knife (刂) from the plant (⺾).