礁
reef, sunken rock
Kanji 1413
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
Reefs lurk underwater, just waiting to cause shipwrecks, and the very components of 礁 may point to sailors’ anxiety about this. Read about fish that change gender, the connection between coral and fences, the reason some coral reefs are circular, and what a reef in outer space represents. Learn a kanji for “off the coast of.” And best of all, see what it means figuratively to run aground.
Revision History:
Feb. 13, 2022:
- p. 1: Rewrote the Henshall etymology of 礁, which appears in an unusual place.
- p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology of 焦.
- p. 8: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
Mar. 31, 2018: p. 5: Fixed a broken link.
Jan. 5, 2018: p. 5: Changed the definition of -沖 from “off (the coast of)” to “offshore.”
Nov. 10, 2017: Originally published.
Comments