虜
captive, barbarian, low epithet for the enemy
Readings
On'yomi
- リョ
- ロ
Kun'yomi
- とりこ
- とりく
Meaning
虜 centers on a person taken by force and treated as lesser: a captive or prisoner of war. The extended senses of 'barbarian' and 'low epithet for the enemy' reflect the dehumanizing view of such captives.
Most common words using 虜
- 捕虜ほりょN1
prisoner (of war); POW; captive
- 虜とりこ
captive; prisoner
- 虜囚りょしゅう
captive; prisoner (of war)
- 俘虜ふりょ
prisoner of war; captive
- 俘虜収容所ふりょしゅうようじょ
prisoner-of-war camp; POW camp
- 捕虜交換ほりょこうかん
prisoner exchange
- 捕虜収容所ほりょしゅうようじょ
prisoner-of-war camp; POW camp
- 胡虜こりょ
northern barbarian tribes surrounding ancient China
- 虜りょ
captive; prisoner
- 被虜人ひりょにん
slave
- 軍虜ぐんりょ
prisoner (of war)
Study
Etymology
虜 combines 虍 (tiger) with 男 (man), originally depicting a man captured like prey by a tiger. This gave the core meaning of a captive taken in battle.
Meaning mnemonic
A tiger (虍) has seized a man (男) and dragged him into its den. He is now a captive, treated as a lowly barbarian by his captors.
Reading mnemonic
For リョ, imagine the captive man thinking of his home in Rio (リョ), a distant place he may never see again.