. Interpretations differ. Mizukami sees 口 22 ‘mouth’ as possibly semantic for ‘words’, with (= 舟 1450) as phonetic with associated sense ‘collect’ – a view shared by Katō. Mizukami also notes alternative view of as semantic for ‘board’, with 口 as ‘hole’, to mean ‘penetrate’ and then ‘same’ (the latter because a round hole is the same seen or measured from any angle); Tōdō also takes as originally ‘penetrate’. MS1995:v1:214-5; KJ1970:736-7; TA1965:286-9. We suggest taking the enclosure of the modern form as a croquet hoop, with 口 as opening, with a single stroke.
Mnemonic: SIMILAR HOOPS HAVE THE SAME SINGLE OPENING
205
L5
道
DŌ, TŌ, michi
way, road
12 strokes
鉄道 TETSUDŌ railway
神道 SHINTŌ Shinto
道端 michibata roadside
The various bronze shapes, e.g. have 行 131 ‘crossroads, roads, go’ (or the abbreviated form彳), here also with 又 2003 ‘hand’ but this changed at the seal stage to 辶, as in 遠 85, with phonetic 首 155 (‘head’) with associated sense of ‘straight road’. Tōdō puts 道 into word-family meaning ‘extend in narrow line’. MS1995:v2:1302-3; KJ1970:670-71; TA1965:190-93. We suggest taking the meaning of ‘head’ for 首.
Mnemonic: THE HEAD LEADS THE WAY ALONG THE ROAD
206
L5
読
DOKU, TOKU, yomu
read
14 strokes
読者 DOKUSHA reader
読本 TOKUHON reading-book
読み方 yomikata a reading (kanji)
A late graph (Shuowen) . Traditional form is 讀, with right-hand (NJK, ‘exchange/display goods’), changed in the modern form to 売, as phonetic. Consists of 言 118 ‘words’, and right-hand phonetic with associated sense ‘recite’. Right-hand element of traditional form is slightly different in shape from traditional form of 売 211 ‘sell’ (q.v.). KJ1970:46; YK1976:397; KZ2001:2629/3671. We suggest taking the right hand of the modern form as 売 211 ‘sell’.
Mnemonic: SELL WORDS TO READ or READING OUT SALES SPIEL
207
L3
内
NAI, DAI, uchi
inside
4 strokes
内部 NAIBU inner part
家内 KANAI wife
内気 uchiKI shyness
OBI . Components are ‘roof’ or ‘dwelling’ with ‘entrance’. By extension, ‘enter’, ‘inside’ (though Ma takes ‘enter’ as the primary meaning). KJ1970:515-6; SS1984:666; MR2007:324. In modern form we suggest taking 人 as ‘person’ 41, and the ‘hoop’ as a frame.
Mnemonic: PERSON TOO BIG TO GET FULLY INSIDE FRAME
208
L5
南
NAN, minami
south
9 strokes
東南 TŌNAN southeast
南極 NANKYOKU South Pole
南側 minamigawa south side
Found in OBI texts onwards , but etymology disputed. Hypotheses include taking as based on pictograph for ‘(decorated?) tent’, and phonetic with associated sense ‘warm’ (Katō, Ogawa, Yamada), perhaps to indicate facing south (Katō), or as pictograph of a musical instrument (Shirakawa; Yamada also notes as alternative possibility). ‘South’ is loan use. KJ1970:959-60; OT1968:139; YK1976:398-9; SS1984:666-7; KJ1985:86-7.
Mnemonic: TENT WITH CROSS AND TIED ENTRANCE FACING SOUTH
209
L4
肉
NIKU
meat, flesh
6 strokes
馬肉 BANIKU horsemeat
肉屋 NIKUya butcher
肉眼 NIKUGAN naked eye
OBI form is based on pictograph of a piece of meat. Bronze forms onwards show several internal lines, not just one; these represent the graining or sinews in the meat. Note: as one element in a more complex graph, in the modern script (both Japanese and Chinese) 肉 changes to 月 as a determinative relating to the body and certain other contexts, as in e.g. 肺 968 ‘lungs’, and so in shape is now indistinguishable from 月 18 ‘moon’ as a determinative in more complex forms, e.g. 期 269 ‘period’. This simply reflects the historical situation, as both 肉 and 月 ‘moon’ were indistinguishable in shape already in seal script when they occurred as elements in compound graphs. MR2007:301-2; KJ1970:479; MS1995:v2:1068-9.
Mnemonic: A GRAINY FILLET OF MEAT
210
L3
馬
BA, uma, ma
horse
10 strokes
馬術 BAJUTSU horsemanship
馬乗り umanori horse-riding
馬子 mago pack-horse driver
OBI forms such as show the graph is clearly based on a pictograph of a horse. MS1995:v2:1466-7; MR2007:414.
Mnemonic: FLOWING MANE, FOUR LEGS AND A TAIL – MUST BE A HORSE
211
L4
売
BAI, uru/reru
sell
7 strokes
売買 BAIBAI dealing
売店 BAITEN stall
売り物 urimono item for sale
A late graph (Shuowen) . Traditional form is 賣. 士 521 (‘samurai’) is in error for – or possibly an abbreviation of – 出 36 ‘put out, display’, combining with a second element 買 212 ‘buy’, serving here as semantic and phonetic meaning ‘exchange’; overall meaning is
