母

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mama

On-Yomi: ボ — Kun-Yomi: はは、も

Elements:

mama, mother, breasts

Heisig story:

Look closely at this kanji and you will find the outline of the kanji for woman in it, the second stroke of which has been expanded to make space for the two breasts that make her a mama. Likening this sound to a baby nursing at its mother's breast has afforded some scholars of comparative linguistics a way to explain the presence of the same word across a wide range of language groups.

Heisig comment:

* As a primitive we shall add the meaning of breasts in accord with the explanation given above. Take careful note of the fact that the form is altered slightly when this kanji serves as a primitive, the final two dots joining together to form a longer stroke. An example follows in the next frame.

Koohii stories:

1) [mr_hans_moleman] 5-7-2007(76): The two breasts of a momma who breastfeeds.

2) [gaijinda] 14-10-2007(34): This mama had twins, one mouth for each nipple.

3) [kat1420] 11-3-2008(16): To remember strokes: it's a breast exam: 1)start like a woman 2) cross your heart (the lower right is crossed) 3) check your "nipples" 4) lift and separate (the last stroke parts the two "breasts").

4) [DavidZ] 11-2-2010(13): L7… To remember the strokes: this begins by writing "L7", which is 50s slang for "square" or uncool. (As a teenager I thought my mama was really square) Add the "nipples" and then use the last stroke to part the two "breasts"… 母 [はは] 、お母さん [おかあさん] 、母乳 [ぼにゅう] 、伯母 /叔母[おば].

5) [Christine_Tham] 23-7-2007(13): The mama has two babies (drops) in the cradle.

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