compel
11 strokes
勉強 BENKYŌ study
強盗 GŌTŌ burglar/burglary
強み tsuyomi strong point
Seal . According to Qiu, 强 (a variant of 強; standard in PRC usage) originally refers to type of ‘insect’ 虫 60, but came to be used as substitute for another graph of more complex shape, i.e. 彊. In part, this was because pronunciation for the two words concerned in early Chinese represented by 強/强 and 彊 was identical, if we accept Schuessler’s reconstruction of sound values. Latter graph is made up of 弓 ’bow’ 107 and two ‘field’ graphs 田 63 with three straight dividing lines (note that as independent graph this component here had the sense of ‘boundary’). The meaning of 彊, first found in OBI texts, is tentatively taken as ‘strong bow’ by Tōdō, who sees ‘unmoving’ – and thereby ‘strong’ – as extended senses of ‘boundary’. As for 弓, it is thought that the bow, being of standard length, may have had the additional role of being a convenient tool for making land measurements. QX2000:358; AS2007:427; MR2007:484; TA1965:394-5. Suggest taking ム as a nose.
Mnemonic: STRONG BOW AIMED AT INSECT’S NOSE
112
L4
教
KYŌ, oshieru
teach
11 strokes
教会 KYŌKAI church
教室 KYŌSHITSU classroom
教え子 oshiego pupil
On the basis of the OBI and bronze forms, the components of this graph are considered to be 爻 roof crossbeams (representing a building), 子 27 ‘child’, and 攴/攵 a hand holding a stick, meaning ‘strike, beat, compel’ (distinguish 攵 from 夂 ‘descending foot’; see Appendix). That is, this was a school where children were taught by coercive methods; Shirakawa says it was children of nobility who were taught by elders. By extension, the graph came to be used for ‘teach’. Modern form has equivalent to 耂, known as the ‘old man’ determinative. SS1984:195; KJ1970:173; OT1968:439.
Mnemonic: OLD MAN, STICK IN HAND, TEACHES CHILD TO COUNT BEAMS
113
L4
近
KIN, chikai
near
7 strokes
近所 KINJO neighborhood
最近 SAIKIN recently
近道 chikamichi shortcut
Seal . Has 辶 85 ‘walk along road, go’, and 斤 1233 (‘ax’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘a little’. ‘Near’ is an extended sense based on ‘walk a short distance’. MR2007:503; KJ1970:285; OT1968:993; TA1960:695-8.
Mnemonic: GO TO AN AX NEARBY
114
L4
兄
KEI, KYŌ, ani
elder brother
5 strokes
父兄 FUKEI guardians
兄弟 KYŌDAI brothers
兄さん niisan* elder brother
OBI forms , ; seal . Lower element, which in OBI has 人 ‘person’ or 卩 ‘kneeling person’ (see 41), changes to another determinative (no.10) for ‘person’, viz. 儿 (see also 41) in seal form. Analyses vary. In one view, shows child with big head (taking 口 as standing for ‘head’). In another view, 口 22 ‘mouth; speak’, and 儿 as phonetic with associated sense ‘big’, giving ‘loud/big voice’, and by extension ‘big’ > ‘big/elder brother’ (both views noted in Mizukami). Alternatively some scholars take as ‘person who utters incantations/prayers’ (Ma, Shirakawa). KJ1970:348-9; MR2007:397; SS1984:226; MS1995:v1:90-91.
Mnemonic: ELDER BROTHER IS JUST MOUTH AND LEGS
115
L3
形
KEI, GYŌ, kata(chi)
shape, form
7 strokes
形式的 KEISHIKITEKI formal
人形 NINGYŌ doll
形見 katami keepsake
Seal forms , . Relatively late origin (Shuowen). Interpretations vary. Has 彡 ‘color, brush pattern’ (etc.) (determinative no. 59), and left-hand element identical with or close in shape to 井 1575 ‘well’. In one view, taken as consisting of 彡 meaning ‘writing brush hairs’, and 开 as phonetic with associated sense ‘imitate, model after’, giving ‘model, copy’ (Katō). Another analysis treats as 彡 ‘pattern’, and 开/井 as semantic and phonetic meaning ‘square frame’, giving ‘mold (to make copies)’ (Tōdō). Shirakawa also sees 开/井 as representing a frame or mold. TA1965:501-3; SS1984:227; KJ1970:359; KJ1985:214.
Mnemonic: THREE STROKES NEXT TO A GRID FORM IS A DISTINCTIVE SHAPE
116
L4
計
KEI, hakaru
measure
9 strokes
合計 GŌKEI sum total
計算 KEISAN calculation
速度計 SOKUDOKEI speedometer
Of quite late origin (Shuowen) . Varied interpretations. The modern form comprises the determinative 言 118 ‘words/say’ and 十 35 ‘ten’. In OBI and bronze texts, a symbol close in shape to 十 represented the word for ‘seven’, not ‘ten’, but by the time of the Shuowen dictionary of around 100AD we find 十 being used for ‘ten’. Ogawa takes ‘words’ together with the number ‘ten’ as combining to give meanings such as ‘count, calculate, plan’. Qiu prefers to regard it simply as an abstract geometric symbol. Shirakawa is alone in looking to interpret the right-hand element of this graph as originally having links to the ancient Chinese practice of divination (卜, see 96), speculating it was misinterpreted as 十. OT1968:920; QX2000:18, 31, 32; SS1984:230.
Mnemonic: COUNTING IN TENS MAKES IT EASY TO MEASURE
117
L4
元
GEN, GAN, moto
origin, source
4 strokes
元気 GENKI health, vigor
元来 GANRAI originally
元通り motodōri
