螽
grasshopper
Strokes17
Readings
On'yomi
- シュウ
Kun'yomi
- いなご
Meaning
螽 centers on a grasshopper, a specific kind of insect.
Most common words using 螽
- 姫螽蟖ひめぎす
Eobiana engelhardti (species of bush cricket)
Study
Etymology
螽 combines 冬 (winter) on top with 䖵 (two insects) on the bottom. The exact historical reason for this combination is uncertain, but it may relate to the grasshopper's seasonal appearance or a phonetic role of 冬.
Meaning mnemonic
Two insects 䖵 huddle together under a winter 冬 sky, like grasshoppers seeking warmth before the cold.
Reading mnemonic
For シュウ, imagine a grasshopper making a soft 'shoo' sound as it leaps away: shoo -> シュウ, and the grasshopper disappears into the grass.