醞
liquor, spirits, wine, fermentation
Strokes17
Readings
On'yomi
- ウン
Kun'yomi
- かも.す
Meaning
醞 centers on the process and products of fermentation: making liquor, spirits, or wine. The meanings are tightly linked to brewing and the resulting alcoholic drinks.
Most common words using 醞
- 醞醸うんじょう
brewing; fermenting
Study
Etymology
醞 combines the wine vessel radical 酉 with a phonetic component that likely contributed the sound. The exact historical development of the right side is uncertain, but the character is consistently associated with fermentation and alcoholic beverages.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 酉 is a wine jar. Picture the right side as a bubbling brew inside a sealed container, with steam rising as the liquor ferments.
Reading mnemonic
For ウン, imagine the sound of a deep, resonant 'oon' echoing from a large fermentation vat: oon -> ウン, as the brew works.