醫
medicine
Strokes18
Readings
On'yomi
- イ
Kun'yomi
- い.やす
- い.する
- くすし
Meaning
醫 centers on the practice of medicine: the art of healing and treating illness. It is the traditional form of the modern 医.
Study
Etymology
醫 is the traditional form of 医. It combines 殹 (possibly a phonetic component) with 酉 (an ancient vessel for medicinal wine), reflecting the historical use of alcohol-based remedies in medicine.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 殹 looks like a doctor's bag or a mortar and pestle, and the bottom 酉 is a jar of medicinal wine. Together they represent the tools of traditional medicine.
Reading mnemonic
For イ, imagine an eagle (イーグル) swooping down to deliver medicine: eagle -> イ, and the bird brings healing.