Skip to content
Kotomora

鄢

name of a district in Honan

Strokes14

Readings

On'yomi

  • エン
  • オン

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

鄢 is a rare kanji used primarily as a proper noun, specifically the name of a historical district in Honan. Its standalone meaning is tied to that place name and has no broader conceptual center.

Study

Etymology

鄢 combines the city radical ⻏ with 焉, which likely served as a phonetic component for the place name. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The right side ⻏ is the city radical, and the left side 焉 looks like a complex structure. Picture an ancient district named 鄢 marked on a map with its own walled city symbol.

Reading mnemonic

For エン, imagine the district's name sounds like 'en' in English, as in 'end' of the map: en -> エン, and the city radical marks the spot.