boy, priest's residence, priest
坊 centers on a place or person associated with a religious residence: a priest's living quarters, and by extension the priest himself. The 'boy' meaning is a later application, often used affectionately for a young male attendant or child.
坊 combines 土 (earth) and 方 (direction/side), originally referring to a walled or earthen enclosure, later extended to a priest's residence or quarter. The 'boy' sense likely developed from the idea of a young attendant in such a place.
Picture a walled earthen compound (土) in a certain direction (方) — that's the priest's residence. The young boy sweeping the grounds is the 坊.
For ボウ, imagine a bowing priest at the residence: bow -> ボウ, and the priest bows as the boy watches.
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Buddhist priest; bonze
bonze; monk
baby; infant
sleeping in late; oversleeping
Buddhist priest; monk
boy; son; child
cherry (fruit; esp. of the sweet cherry, Prunus avium)
(another's) son; boy; young master
wheedling child; spoiled child; pampered child; child who always demands attention
glutton; gourmand
Botchan (1906 novel by Natsume Sōseki)
close-cropped head; shaven head
person who cannot stick to anything; unsteady worker; monk for three days
temple; monk's quarters
sleeping late in the morning; sleeping in; lie-in; oversleeping
umibōzu; sea yōkai, resembling a huge bald-headed black figure; sea monster; sea goblin
flat and smooth
visitor's or pilgrims' lodgings in a temple; priest's quarters
wanderer; vagabond; capricious person; hobo
Hon'inbō; Honinbo; grandmaster