The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji. Kenneth G. Henshall

      人口 JINKŌ population

      口実 KŌJITSU pretext

      出口 deguchi exit

      According to Katō et al., widely regarded as based on a pictograph for the mouth . However, according to Shirakawa, the early (OBI and bronze) shapes which might appear to be the ancestral forms of this character (with a meaning ‘mouth’) are rare, and more common are instances of another graph of identical shape which instead represents a ritual vessel. It is difficult to substantiate Shirakawa’s view, though some support for caution in interpretation of the early occurrences is found in Matsumaru. Extended meanings include ‘hole’, ‘opening’ and ‘speak’. MS1995:v1:204-5; SS1984:284-5; MM1993:30; KJ1985:98.

      Mnemonic: SQUARE OPEN MOUTH

      23

      L5

      校

      KŌ

      school, check

      10 strokes

      校正 KŌSEI proofreading

      高校 KŌKŌ high school

      校長 KŌCHŌ school principal

      A graph of the common semantic-phonetic category. The right-hand component 交 as an independent graph has meanings of ‘crossed (esp. legs), mixed’ (see 128). Later, the ‘wood/tree’ determinative 木 73 was added, to clarify the sense ‘wooden shackles’. Other meanings for 校, found already in the Chinese classics, include ‘compare’, ‘collate’, ‘check’, ‘enclosure’, and ‘school’. Perhaps to be explained in the sense of ‘school’ through the phonetic loan principle, as suggested by Katō. KJ1970:172; AS2007:536, 307; ZY2009:v2 506. We suggest using ‘six’ 六 80 to help remember it.

      Mnemonic: CHECK OUT SIX WOODEN CROSSES AT THE SCHOOL

      24

      L5

      左

      SA, hidari

      left

      5 strokes

      左派 SAHA leftist faction

      左側 hidarigawa left side

      左手 hidarite left hand

      OBI is based on a pictograph of a hand orientated from left to right. Bronze equivalents add 工 125, originally a pictograph for some kind of tool used in work. Can be taken as semantic compound (‘left hand’ with ‘tool, work’) (Karl-gren), or as semantic-phonetic compound, in which case the first two strokes of 左 have both semantic and phonetic roles. MR2007:271-2; BK1957:22-3; SS1984:331; KJ1970:37; AS2007:637.

      Mnemonic: LEFT HAND HOLDS THE CARPENTER’S SQUARE

      25

      L5

      三

      SAN, mi-

      three

      3 strokes

      三月 SANGATSU March

      三日 mikka third day

      三角 SANKAKU triangle

      Three short straight lines , a simple mnemonic device; occurring from OBI onwards. Similar depictions were used in certain other ancient writing systems (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Sumerian cuneiform, and suchlike). SS1984:350; KJ1970:40.

      Mnemonic: THREE FINGERS

      26

      L5

      山

      SAN, yama

      mountain, hill

      3 strokes

      氷山 HYŌZAN iceberg

      沢山 TAKUSAN large quantity

      山道 yamamichi mountain trail

      OBI , based on jagged mountains. MR2007:407; KJ1970:40; QX2000:175.

      Mnemonic: TRIPLE PEAKED MOUNTAIN

      27

      L5

      子

      SHI, SU, ko

      child

      3 strokes

      電子 DENSHI electron

      子供 kodomo child(ren)

      様子 YŌSU state of things

      Based on a pictograph of an infant . Note that this graph has also been used to denote the first of the twelve ‘Earthly Branches’ of the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle. QX2000: 178; BK1970:254; MR2007:517; KJ1985:158.

      Mnemonic: CHILD ON MUM’S BACK WITH ARMS OUT

      or: CHILD WRITES THREE THEN STRIKES IT OUT

      28

      L5

      四

      SHI, yo-, yon

      four

      5 strokes

      四月 SHIGATSU April

      四日 yokka fourth day

      四回 yonKAI four times

      OBI and many bronze examples represent ‘four’ using four horizontal strokes Some bronze forms appear to represent an open mouth with teeth, etc., possibly with the meaning of ‘breathe’ ‘Four’ is almost certainly a loan use. KJ1970:42; QX2000:174; KJ1985:122. As a mnemonic, we suggest taking the present shape as a clenched fist.

      Mnemonic: FOUR FINGERS IN CLENCHED FIST

      29

      L3

      糸

      SHI, ito

      thread

      6 strokes

      製糸 SEISHI silk making

      毛糸 keito woollen yarn

      糸巻 itomaki thread-reel

      OBI forms show single thread (probably silk); seal . 糸 is a common determinative, as in e.g. 絵 95 (‘picture’); distinguish from 系 855 (‘threads joined together’). The related element 幺 ‘fine thread(s), end of fine thread’ has ‘small, young’ as extended meanings. SS1984:364; MS1995:v2:1002-04,v1:446-8.

      Mnemonic: SKEIN OF TWISTED THREAD

      30

      L4

      字

      JI

      letter, symbol

      6 strokes

      字引 JIbiki dictionary

      赤字 akaJI ‘in the red’, deficit

      数字 SŪJI digit, number

      Earliest forms such as show