梨
Translingual
Han character
梨 (radical 75 木+7, 11 strokes, cangjie input 竹弓木 (HND), X竹弓木 (XHND), four-corner 22904)
References
- KangXi: page 530, character 12
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14873
- Dae Jaweon: page 918, character 10
- Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1215, character 10
- Unihan data for U+68A8
Japanese
Kanji
梨
Readings
Etymology
From Old Japanese. Derivation unclear, with numerous theories. Two of the more common are given below.
- May be originally a compound of 中 (na, hypothesized root of modern naka, “middle, center”) + 白い (shiro, “white”) in reference to the pale flesh of the fruit.
- /na ɕiro/ > /naɕi/
- Alternately, may be originally a compound of 中 (na, hypothesized root of modern naka, “middle, center”) + 酢 (su, “sour, acidic”) in reference to the way the flavor of the fruit becomes more astringent closer to the core.
- /na su/ > /naɕi/
Pronunciation
Alternative forms
Noun
梨 (hiragana なし, katakana ナシ, romaji nashi)
Usage notes
As with many terms used in biology, this word is often seen spelled in katakana, as ナシ.