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Kotomora

蕚

calyx, cup

Strokes16

Readings

On'yomi

  • ガク

Kun'yomi

  • うてな

Meaning

蕚 centers on the protective outer part of a flower: the calyx, the green cup-like structure that holds the petals. The cup sense is a natural extension of that enclosing shape.

Study

Etymology

蕚 is a variant form of 萼. Both combine the grass radical 艹 with a phonetic component: 蕚 uses 品 over 亏, while 萼 uses 咢. The character originally referred to the calyx of a flower.

Meaning mnemonic

The grass radical 艹 sits above a shape that looks like stacked mouths 品 over a curved base 亏, like a cup holding something. Picture a green cup made of grass holding the flower petals: that's the calyx.

Reading mnemonic

For ガク, imagine a gak (invented sound like 'gawk') of surprise when you see the calyx cup open: gak -> ガク, and the flower's green cup unfolds.