殉 means “die for a cause, martyrdom”

じゅん · jun

Also: follow by resigning

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジュン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

Death's bare bone (歹) beside 旬, a full round of days: a whole life given to a cause. 殉職 is death in the line of duty, 殉教 is martyrdom, and 殉死, following one's lord in death, is how General Nogi ended his life on the day of Emperor Meiji's funeral.

Used in 殉職 (junshoku, death in the line of duty), 殉教 (junkyou, martyrdom), and 殉死 (junshi, following one's lord in death)

More from Graves & Mourning

• 棺 coffin
• 訃 news of a death
• 骸 bones
• 遺 leave behind
• 葬 funeral
• 喪 mourning
• 墓 grave
• 悼 grieve
• 墳 burial mound
• 弔 mourn
• 忌 shun
• 逝 pass away

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.