Skip to content
Kotomora

鰥

widower, unmarried man

Strokes21

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン
  • コン

Kun'yomi

  • やもめ
  • やもお

Meaning

鰥 centers on a man who has lost his spouse or remains unmarried, specifically a widower or an older unmarried man.

Most common words using 鰥

  • 鰥やもめ

    widower; divorced man not remarried

  • 鰥寡かんか

    widow and widower; lonely people

  • 鰥寡孤独かんかこどく

    with no one upon whom to depend; utter loneliness; the lonely and the helpless; people who have no kith or kin

Explore all words using 鰥 →

Study

Etymology

鰥 combines 魚 (fish) with 眔, which likely contributes the sound. The connection between 'fish' and 'widower' is not obvious, and the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side is a fish 魚, and the right side 眔 looks like a net or a trap. Imagine a lone fish caught in a net, separated from its school, like a widower living alone.

Reading mnemonic

For カン, picture a widower who keeps a can of his late wife's favorite tea as a memento: can -> カン, and the can holds memories of his married life.