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Kotomora

隩

profound, subtle, warm, inhabited

Strokes16

Readings

On'yomi

  • オウ
  • イク

Kun'yomi

  • くま

Meaning

隩 centers on a sheltered, inward quality: something profound or subtle, a warm and cozy nook, or a place where people dwell. The inhabited sense extends from the idea of a protected, comfortable space.

Study

Etymology

隩 combines the hill radical ⻖ with 奧, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of a deep, sheltered interior. The character suggests a secluded place by a hill or mound.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side ⻖ is a hill, and the right side 奧 suggests a deep inner room. Picture a warm, sheltered nook tucked into the side of a hill—a profound, subtle place where people might dwell.

Reading mnemonic

For オウ, imagine an old, profound hermit named O who lives in a warm, sheltered nook by the hill: O -> オウ, and his home is the very picture of 隩.