飆
whirlwind
Strokes21
Readings
On'yomi
- ヒョウ
Kun'yomi
- つむじかぜ
Meaning
飆 centers on a violent, spiraling wind: a whirlwind or sudden gust that spins fiercely.
Study
Etymology
飆 combines 風 (wind) with 猋, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of rapid, dog-like movement, suggesting a wind that moves swiftly and violently like a pack of dogs.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 猋 shows three dogs running wildly, and the right side 風 is wind. Picture a whirlwind stirred up by a pack of dogs racing in circles.
Reading mnemonic
For ヒョウ, imagine a whirlwind howling like a hyena: hyena -> ヒョウ, and the spinning wind sounds like its wild cry.