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Kotomora

髦

bangs, long hair, excellence

Strokes14

Readings

On'yomi

  • ボウ
  • モウ

Kun'yomi

  • たれがみ

Meaning

髦 centers on hair that stands out: long flowing hair or bangs that draw attention, and by extension, a person of outstanding excellence who stands out from the crowd.

Study

Etymology

髦 combines 髟 (hair) with 毛 (hair, fur), reinforcing the idea of long or prominent hair. The extension to 'excellence' likely comes from the notion of standing out like a striking hairstyle.

Meaning mnemonic

The top 髟 is a long-haired person, and the bottom 毛 is more hair. Imagine someone with such long, flowing bangs that they become a symbol of excellence, standing out in a crowd.

Reading mnemonic

For ボウ, picture a bow in the long hair of an excellent archer: bow -> ボウ, and the bow ties the outstanding hairstyle together.