OBI is based on pictograph of container with double lids, probably for rice, and made of bamboo or similar pliant plant-based material. According to Yamada, ‘depart’ is an extended usage based on the container being for taking out rice from a cooking pot but more likely loan usage. MS1995:v1:190-91; KJ197:266-7; YK1976:128. We suggest taking the graph as 土 64 ‘ground’ and ム as ‘nose’.
Mnemonic: NOSE UNDER THE GROUND MEANS YOU HAVE DEPARTED – GONE!
277
L3
橋
KYŌ, hashi
bridge
16 strokes
鉄橋 TEKKYŌ steel bridge
陸橋 RIKKYŌ overpass
石橋 ishibashi stone bridge
A late graph (Shuowen) . 木 73 is ‘tree, wood’, and 喬 is an NJK meaning ‘tall’ (similar in form and meaning to 高 132 ‘tall/high’) and also acts here as phonetic. Despite some points of difference, scholars are in general agreement that the basic associated sense is ‘tall, high’, in this case presumably denoting something tall and wooden; ‘bridge’ is perhaps an extended sense, though Yamada sees as loan.YK1976:134-5; SS1984:199-200; OT1968:525.
Mnemonic: TALL WOODEN STRUCTURE WITH IRREGULAR TOP IS A BRIDGE
278
L4
業
GYŌ, GŌ, waza
profession, deed, karma
13 strokes
産業 SANGYŌ industry
罪業 ZAIGŌ sin
仕業 shiwaza act, deed
Bronze represents a musical instrument with bells suspended from a notched board; in Tōdō’s word-family ‘rough and hard’. The graph was also used to denote board or tablet used as a flat surface for learning, then for learning itself or any activity involving learning, including work. ‘Karma’ is an extended meaning. KJ1970:282; OT1968:514; YK1976:136-7. Difficult mnemonically, but we suggest taking the lower part as a combination of 木 73 ‘tree/wood’ and 羊 426 ‘sheep’, and the upper part a topless ‘row’ 並 977.
Mnemonic: MAKING ODD ROWS OF WOODEN SHEEP IS A STRANGE PROFESSION
279
L3
曲
KYOKU, mageru/garu
bend, melody
6 strokes
曲線 KYOKUSEN curve
作曲 SAKKYOKU songwriting
曲がり目 magarime a turning
Bronze is ; pictograph of curved container made of wood or bamboo (Mizukami also notes alternative interpretation as carpenter’s square); by extension ‘bend’. MS1995:v1:628-9; YK1976:137; KJ1970:284. ‘Melody’ is an extended meaning perhaps based on convolutions. We suggest remembering the modern graph by using 田 63 ‘field(s)’.
Mnemonic: BENDY PATHS THROUGH THE FIELDS AND BEYOND
280
L3
局
KYOKU
office, section, circumstances
7 strokes
局面 KYOKUMEN situation
結局 KEKKYOKU finally
郵便局 YŪBINKYOKU post office
Late graph (Shuowen): . Usually taken as 尸 ‘corpse or person slumped or bent or lying’ (NJK graph: e.g. see 256), with variant of 句 683 (modern meaning ‘phrase’) as phonetic with associated sense i] ‘bent; hunchback’ (Katō, Yamada) or ii] ‘divide’ (Ogawa). Interpretation i] then treats meanings of the type ‘room’, ‘apartment of a court-lady’, ‘office’ as loan usage; ii] regards as extended use. Tōdō includes in word-family meaning ‘bend’, ‘made intricate’. KJ1970:279-80; YK1976:137; OT1968:295; TA1965:307-10.
Mnemonic: ODD PHRASE USED ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES OF OFFICE CORPSE
281
L4
銀
GIN, shirogane
silver
14 strokes
銀行 GINKŌ bank
銀河 GINGA Milky Way
銀貨 GINKA silver coin
Seal . A late graph (Shuowen). Has 金 16 ‘metal’ and 艮 (NJK, originally showed an eye on top of twisted legs, to mean ‘stop, look back angrily, oppose’) as phonetic with the associated sense ‘white’. Distinguish 艮 from 良 628 ‘good’. KJ1970:291-2; OT1968:1041; YK1976:141.
Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE AT SILVERY METAL
282
L4
区
KU
ward, section
4 strokes
区別 KUBETSU distinguishing
地区 CHIKU district
北区 kitaKU Kita Ward
OBI ; bronze ; traditional 區. Mizukami takes OBI form as ‘armpit’ with 品 405 ‘goods’, here treated as ‘many enclosed items’, giving ‘confined armpit space for hiding things’. The bronze form has ‘armpit’ with several items lined up, interpreted as ‘small place under armpit’ (Katō), to which Mizukami adds ‘to hide things’. ‘Small’ and ‘divide up’ are extended meanings. MS1995:v1:162-3; KJ1970:296; YK1976:141-2.
Mnemonic: MOSTLY ENCLOSED ‘SECTION X’ IS A WARD
283
L3
苦
KU, nigai, kurushii/shimu
painful, bitter
8 strokes
苦心 KUSHIN pains, trouble
苦痛 KUTSŪ pain, agony
苦味 nigami bitterness
A late graph (Shuowen) . It comprises艹 53 ‘plant/grass’, and 古 121 (‘old’) as a phonetic with an associated sense ‘tighten’ (Katō, Yamada) or ‘feel strong stimulation’ (Ogawa); the meaning extended to ‘bitter, unpleasant’, etc. KJ1970:393; YK1976:142-3; OT1968:847.
