顴
cheekbone
Strokes26
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
- カン
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
顴 refers specifically to the cheekbone, the bony prominence below the eye.
Most common words using 顴
- 顴骨かんこつ
cheekbone; zygomatic bone; malar bone
Study
Etymology
顴 is a phono-semantic compound: 頁 (head) suggests the meaning related to the head or face, while 雚 likely provides the sound. The exact historical development of the phonetic component is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 雚 looks like a bird with a crest, and the right side 頁 means head or page. Imagine a bird's prominent cheekbone under its eye, like the bony ridge on a crested bird's face.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, picture a Ken doll with exaggerated cheekbones: Ken -> ケン, and his cheekbones are so sharp they could cut glass.