苗
seedling (esp. rice)
Kanji 1740
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.
Find out about the literal side of 苗 (e.g., all that happens before rice seedlings go into paddies) and the figurative aspects of 苗 (e.g., when the "seedlings" of a culture bear delicious fruits). See how seedlings played key roles in "The Mutiny on the Bounty" and in one Nobel Peace Prize winner's work. Also discover why 苗 can mean "Hmong" and how it relates to smallpox.
Revision history:
Nov. 17, 2023: p. 2: Changed the def. of 越冬 from "to pass the winter" to "passing the winter."
Sept. 15, 2022: Slightly reworked a passage on p. 11.
Sept. 10, 2022: Fixed a broken link.
Feb. 16, 2022:
- p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology and Sears link.
- p. 8: Deleted a comment about Henshall’s etymology of 苗, as his new edition doesn’t include that idea.
- p. 13: Updated what I said about Henshall’s etymology of 猫.
- p. 15: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
Nov. 13, 2015: Originally published.
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