The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji. Kenneth G. Henshall

The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji

MEI, MYŌ, akarui, akari/keru/kasu

clear, open, bright

8 strokes

明白 MEIHAKU clarity

明日 MYŌNICHI tomorrow

明け方 akegata day-break

Occurs in two forms in OBI: a) and b) : a) – the dominant line of development – corresponding to 日 66 ‘sun’ and 月 18 ‘moon’, as in modern Japanese and Chinese script; b) made of ‘moon’ and an element which is taken either as ‘window’ (Qiu, Karlgren) or ‘light, bright’ (Katō, Yamada). QX2000:83, 192; BK1957:201; KJ1970:838; YK1976:468.

Mnemonic: SUN AND MOON TOGETHER MAKE IT CLEAR AND BRIGHT

229

鳴

MEI, naku/ru

non-human sound

14 strokes

鳴動 MEIDŌ rumbling

鳴き声 nakigoe animal cry

鳴り物 narimono musical instrument

The modern graph has ‘mouth’ 口 22 and ‘bird’ 鳥 190, but based on OBI and bronze forms Katō takes the bird to be a cock. KJ1970:839; MR2007:297; OT1968:1150.

Mnemonic: SOUNDS FROM A BIRD’S MOUTH ARE NOT HUMAN

230

毛

MŌ, ke

hair, fur

4 strokes

羊毛 YŌMŌ wool

毛皮 kegawa fur

毛虫 kemushi caterpillar

Bronze forms such as show the graph is based on a tuft of fur or hair. SS1984:822; OT1968:549; YK1976:471.

Mnemonic: FOUR STROKES FOR A TUFT OF HAIR

231

門

MON, kado

gate, door

8 strokes

正門 SEIMON main gate

門番 MONBAN doorman

門出 kadode departure

Based on pictograph of a closed double gate or door; OBI form . MR2007:457; SS1984:824-5; OT1968:1055.

Mnemonic: A DOUBLE-DOORED GATE

232

夜

YA, yo, yoru

night

8 strokes

夜行性 YAKŌSEI nocturnal

夜明け yoake dawn

夜昼 yoruhiru night and day

Bronze form has 夕 46 ‘moon’ (later ‘evening’), and the NJK 亦 (‘again’) as phonetic (associated sense disputed). Tōdō includes in a word-family meaning ‘alternating shape or pattern’, in this case night and day. KJ1970:89; YK1976:473; TA1965:332-6. We suggest taking 亠 as a top-hat, ‘person’ 亻 41, ‘moon’ 夕 , and an extra stroke.

Mnemonic: PERSON PUTS TOP HAT ON AT NIGHT TO AVOID MOON-STROKE

233

野

YA, no

moor, wild

11 strokes

野生 YASEI wild

野球 YAKYŪ baseball

野原 nohara moor, field

The graph made up of these elements can be traced back only as far as the seal script (Shuowen). It comprises 里 238 ‘village’, and 予 425 (‘already’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘calm, quiet’. KJ1970:874; MS1995:v2:1356; YK1976:474.

Mnemonic: VILLAGE ALREADY BUILT ON WILD MOOR

234

友

YŪ, tomo

friend

4 strokes

友人 YŪJIN friend

友情 YŪJŌ friendship

友達 tomodachi friend

OBI form shows two hands together, to signify ‘help’, ‘togetherness’, and so also ‘friend’. MR2007:271; KJ1970:38; SS1984:832; YK1976:477-8.

Mnemonic: TWO HANDS TOGETHER IS A SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP

235

用

YŌ, mochiiru

use

5 strokes

用事 YŌJI business

用意 YŌI preparation

悪用 AKUYŌ abuse

OBI form is widely taken to show a pen for animals which were sometimes used in the Shang dynasty for sacrifice; ‘use’ is probably loan usage. Ma interprets it as depicting a bucket. SS1984:844; KJ1970:885; YK1976:482; AS2007:577; MR2007:283.

Mnemonic: MAKE USE OF A FENCE

236

曜

YŌ

day of week, shine

18 strokes

曜日 YŌbi day of week

火曜日 KAYŌbi Tuesday

七曜 SHICHIYŌ days of week

Late graph, not in Shuowen. Noted in late 6th century AD Yupian as having same meaning as 燿 (NJK), i.e. ‘shine’, and Yamada and Katō treat 隹 324 (‘bird’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘shine’. Morohashi, though, explains the Japanese-only sense ‘day of the week’ as: ‘shine’/‘bright’ 明 228, which gives 日 66 ‘sun’ and 月 18 ‘moon’, to which was added the traditional five-planet group 火水木金土 (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn respectively); each of these seven then combines with 曜 to give 日曜 ‘Sunday’, 月曜 ‘Monday’, and so on. KJ1970:84; YK1976:486; MT1989:v5:945. Suggest taking 日 in its two meanings of sun and day, and as its elements, ‘wings’ 羽 82 and ‘bird’ 隹 324.

Mnemonic: SUN WINGS ITS WAY LIKE A BIRD – ANOTHER DAY

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