鯡
herring
Strokes19
Readings
On'yomi
- ヒ
Kun'yomi
- にしん
- はららご
Meaning
鯡 centers on the herring, a specific type of fish. The meaning is narrow and concrete, with no broader conceptual extensions.
Most common words using 鯡
- 大西洋鯡たいせいようにしん
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)
Study
Etymology
鯡 combines 魚 (fish) with 非, which likely contributes the sound ヒ. The character was created to represent the herring specifically.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is a fish 魚, and the right side 非 looks like a pair of wings or fins. Picture a herring with distinctive wing-like fins swimming in a school.
Reading mnemonic
For ヒ, imagine a herring leaping out of the water and making a high-pitched 'hee' sound: hee -> ヒ, and the fish 魚 on the left confirms it's a herring.