蜆
fresh-water clam
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
Kun'yomi
- しじみ
Meaning
蜆 centers on a specific small freshwater shellfish: the clam. It refers to the creature itself rather than an abstract concept.
Most common words using 蜆
- 蜆しじみ
basket clam (Corbiculidae spp.); freshwater clam; freshwater mussel
- 大和蜆やまとしじみ
Corbicula japonica (species of basket clam)
- 寒蜆かんしじみ
Shijimi clam caught during winter
- 溝蜆どぶしじみ
Sphaerium japonicum (species of fingernail clam)
- 瀬田蜆せたしじみ
Corbicula sandai (species of basket clam)
- 真蜆ましじみ
Corbicula leana (species of basket clam)
- 蜆汁しじみじる
soup with basket clams (usu. miso soup)
- 蜆花しじみばな
bridal-wreath spirea (Spiraea prunifolia)
Study
Etymology
蜆 combines 虫 (insect/creature) with 見, which likely contributes the sound. The character was created to name a specific shellfish.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 on the left suggests a small creature, and 見 on the right looks like a shell with a seeing eye. Picture spotting a freshwater clam peeking out from the mud.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, imagine Ken the clam-digger finding a freshwater clam: Ken -> ケン, and he sees the clam with his sharp eyes.