A late graph (Shuowen) . Has 田 63 ‘field’, and 1094 介 (modern meaning ‘come between’) here as phonetic with associated sense ‘divide’, giving original meaning ‘divide up fields’. In Tōdō’s word-family meaning ‘divide in two; interval, gap’. KJ1970:143; YK1976:90; TA1965:601-05.
Mnemonic: DIVIDE FIELDS INTO AREAS WITH BOUNDARIES
261
L4
開
KAI, hiraku, akeru
open
12 strokes
開発 KAIHATSU development
開始 KAISHI inception
開き綱 hirakizuna rip-cord
A relatively late graph (Shuowen) . Has 門 231 ‘gate’, and an inner element taken i] as 幵 ‘face, oppose’ (the two leaves of opened gate facing each other) (Yamada, Katō), or ii] two hands reaching out to remove the crossbar (Shirakawa, Ogawa). YK1976:91; KJ1970:143; SS1984:92-3; OT1968:1057.
Mnemonic: HANDS REMOVE BAR AND OPEN GATE
262
L3
階
KAI
storey, grade, step
12 strokes
階段 KAIDAN stairs
二階 NIKAI upstairs
階級 KAIKYŪ class, grade
Late graph (Shuowen) . Has determinative 阝 ‘piled-up earth, mound’ (short form of 阜 1907), and 皆 1099 (modern meaning ‘all, everyone’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘be lined up’, or ‘be in unison’. KJ1970:152; YK1976:91; OT1968:1072. Note that the determinative 阝 can also occur as a right-hand element, with different etymology and meaning; see 都 376 and 阜 1907 for further discussion.
Mnemonic: ALL THE MOUNDS SHOULD HAVE STEPS LINED UP
263
L4
寒
KAN, samui
cold
12 strokes
寒波 KANPA cold spell/wave
寒気 samuKE a chill
寒暖計 KANDANKEI thermometer
Bronze form A ; bronze form B ; seal form . Form A shows a roof/dwelling, with gathered vegetation inside to keep occupant warm from the cold (Shirakawa). Form B additionally has two horizontal lines sometimes taken to represent ice (Yamada), but ice was not normally represented in this way; instead, the lines might indicate mats to lie on (Shirakawa, Karlgren also in broad agreement). YK1976:102-3; BK1957:58; SS1984:124-5. We suggest taking middle part as 井 1575 ‘well’, as variant of 六 80 ‘six’, plus 冫 ‘ice’ 401.
Mnemonic: SIX ROOFED WELLS ICE OVER IN THE COLD
264
L3
感
KAN(jiru)
feeling, emotion
13 strokes
感心 KANSHIN admiration
感覚 KANKAKU sense
感情 KANJŌ feelings, emotion
A late graph (Shuowen) . Has 心 164 ‘heart’, and 咸 (NJK graph based on a halberd: see e.g. 545) as phonetic with associated sense ‘shake’, to give ‘shaking heart’, and so ‘feeling, emotion’. KJ1970:215; YK1976:104; OT1968:379. Suggest taking 口 as ‘mouth’ 22.
Mnemonic: FEELING HEART IN THE MOUTH WHEN FACING A HALBERD
265
L4
漢
KAN
Han China, male
13 strokes
漢字 KANJI character
悪漢 AKKAN rogue
漢詩 KANSHI Chinese poetry
Ironically, one of the most etymologically obscure characters. Bronze . Has 氵 42 ‘water’, with right-hand side as phonetic (associated sense unclear). Originally referred to the Han River (modern Shaanxi Province), one of the most important tributaries of the Yangtze River; later taken as name for the Han dynasty by its founder Liu Bang, as that region was where he began building the dynasty. At an early period, non-Han ethnic groups in China referred to Han Chinese as 漢 子 ‘sons of Han’, and by extension the general sense ‘male’. KJ1970:223; OT1968:599; YK1976:104; SS1984:128. We suggest taking the right hand element as 夫 601 ‘man’, 口 22 ‘mouth’ and 艹 53 ‘grass/plant’, with a little geographical licence.
Mnemonic: MAN FROM MOUTH OF HAN RIVER IN GRASSY HAN CHINA
266
L4
館
KAN
large building, hall
16 strokes
会館 KAIKAN hall
旅館 RYOKAN inn
美術館 BIJUTSUKAN art gallery
Late graph (Shuowen) . Has 飠 163 ‘meal/eat’, and 官 465 (modern meaning ‘official’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘building to work in’, then ‘building’ in general or ‘house’ (Yamada). Shirakawa sees differently as originally a temporary building used by army on the move for ceremonial use, then ‘building’ in general sense. Katō takes the graph as ‘place to stay/eat’. KJ1970:335; YK1976:106; SS1984:131; KJ1985:669.
Mnemonic: OFFICIAL EATS IN HALL
267
L3
岸
GAN, kishi
bank, shore
8 strokes
海岸 KAIGAN coast
対岸 TAIGAN opposite bank
川岸 kawagishi riverbank
A late graph (Shuowen) . Has 山 26 ‘mountain’, and lower part as phonetic with associated sense ‘dwelling built high on rocks/high’ (Yamada), ‘mountain prominence’ (Ogawa), or ‘jagged cliff’ (Shirakawa). Later, extended usage for ‘high land close to water’, and ‘bank, shore’. YK1976:108;
