饉
hunger
Readings
On'yomi
- キン
Kun'yomi
- う.える
Meaning
饉 centers on severe scarcity of food: hunger, especially famine-level hunger. It is a rare kanji used in classical contexts for extreme food shortage.
Most common words using 饉
- 飢饉ききんN2
famine; crop failure
- 享保の飢饉きょうほうのききん
Kyōhō famine (1732)
- 大飢饉だいききん
great famine; severe famine
- 天保の大飢饉てんぽうのだいききん
Great Tempo Famine
- 天保の飢饉てんぽうのききん
Tenpō famine (1833-1836); Tempo famine
- 天明の飢饉てんめいのききん
Tenmei famine (1782-1787); Temmei famine
- 水飢饉みずききん
drought; water shortage
- 豊作飢饉ほうさくききん
impoverishment of farmers because of a bumper harvest; decline in farmers' income caused by the sharply lower farm prices as a result of bumper harvests
Study
Etymology
饉 combines the food radical 飠 with 堇, which likely provides the sound and may contribute a sense of scarcity or hardship. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The food radical 飠 beside 堇 suggests a situation where food is scarce. Imagine a time of famine when even the smallest morsel is precious.
Reading mnemonic
For キン, picture a hungry person eyeing a can of food: can -> キン, but the can is empty, so hunger remains.