The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji. Kenneth G. Henshall

The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

字

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

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