蠮

bee

Strokes23

Readings

On'yomi

エツ
エチ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

蠮 centers on a bee, specifically a type of bee or wasp. The meaning is narrow and concrete, referring to the insect itself.

Study

Etymology

蠮 combines the insect radical 虫 with 翳, which likely contributes the sound. The character is a specific term for a bee or wasp, and its historical development is obscure.

Meaning mnemonic

The insect radical 虫 on the left tells you it's a bug. The right side 翳 looks like a dense, buzzing shape—imagine a bee trapped under a canopy of wings and feathers, struggling to get out.

Reading mnemonic

For エツ, imagine a bee buzzing around your ear and you swatting it away with a sharp 'Ets!' sound. The bee's buzz is cut short by your 'Ets!'—エツ.