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An Etymological Dictionary of Chinese Characters
Interpretations by Lawrence J. Howell and Hikaru Morimoto |
| Covering 6,500 Chinese characters as used in Japan |
Word Family of Terms Originally Pronounced KAM
Semantic Values of the Sound KAM: Frame + Encompass/Conceal
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Characters in this word family involve a framing object that serves to contain or conceal another object. Examples include
Sweet/tasty (甘) or salty (塩) food in the mouth
A fuel source in a fire (炎)
A person fallen into a hole (陥)
Gold nuggets buried in the ground (金)
Indistinct sound produced by the mouth (音)
Sanctified ground in a forest (禁)
In 敢, 減, 勘 and 堪 the encompassing or concealment involves deep penetration.
Among the non-Everyday Use Characters, we find the following examples:
A hole/depression into which people or objects fall (凵, 臽, 坎, 轗)
Concealing roofs/structures (广, 庵, 菴, 廕)
Conceal a building by obstructing it (廞)
A protective gloss/sheen (艶)
The skin covered by a mole (黶)
A mineral deposit that coats the surface of an object (淦)
The act of covering and concealing (奄, 俺, 掩, 弇, 揜)
Covering with a net in fishing/hunting (罨, 禽 and 擒)
A seam that covers and contains (緎)
The body covered entirely (衾) or in part (衿) by clothing/bedding
An ark shell, or shell of another sort of insect/creature (蚶, 厴)
A servant sequestered deep within the gates of a palace (閹)
Containers of various sorts (函, 酓, 坩, 盦)
Encompassing/concealment involving deep penetration (咸, 戡)
Fruit contained in a tough skin (檎 and 柑)
Grain contained in a husk (稔 and 莟)
A flame contained in and concealing a pit (焰)
A village concealed behind gates (閻)
Food contained in a bun, or in the oral cavity (餡 and 頷)
Mouth/pouch of a monkey or squirrel, in which food is contained (嗛)
A bit contained in the oral cavity of a horse (銜)
The reception or taking in of food (歆)
Gold woven into silk (錦)
An illness hidden deep in the body (疳)
A deep gorge (嵌)
A craggy mountain (嵒, 巌 and 崟)
Concealing oneself to spy upon a site (瞰)
Vegetation concealed in shade (蔭)
Be contained in darkness (黔, 黯)
The sun contained in pre-dawn darkness (晗)
Be covered by water (淹)
A concealed chamber (龕)
Extensions of meaning or abstract applications of the senses noted above are found in the remaining characters in this group.
甘 (5) カン；あま（い・える・やかす・んじる・んずる） BIS 
BIS shows an object in the mouth → taste/relish → tasty; mild; delicious → sweet (← sweet food contained in the mouth) → indulgent; lenient; spoil (a person) (← be overly sweet) → insufficiently serious; overly optimistic; loose and take advantage → be content (with); be resigned (to); accept (← indulge oneself and take the easy way out).
紺 (11) コン
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 糸 thread → fabric dyed a deep, concealing hue (← be concealed ← be contained) → dark blue.
敢 (12) カン BIS 
BIS shows two hands + 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + a slash indicating a cover → slash at concealed enemies (← be concealed ← be contained) → daring; brave.
厳 (17) ゲン；ゴン；おごそ（か）；きび（しい） Formerly 嚴
The lower element combines 厂 cliff/shape indicator + 敢 (Type 1 Phonetic) (concealed) → dense, nearly impenetrable mountains (compare 堪). To the lower element, 嚴 adds 口 mouth (doubled, suggesting the noise made by two people speaking simultaneously) → orders issued in a thick voice → severity; strictness → solemnity.
岩 (8) ガン；いわ
A variant of 巖, the previous form of 巌 (craggy mountain/hill) → rock; crag.
炎 (8) エン；ほのお
火 fire (doubled) → blaze that covers its fuel source in flames → flame.
塩 (13) エン；しお Formerly 鹽
As per 監 (Type 3 Phonetic) (keep watch over collected objects → contain) + 鹵 salt/alkali → salt (contained in the mouth for tasting) → chloride. Compare 甘.
嫌 (13) ケン；いや；いや（がる）；きら（い・う） Formerly 
As per 兼 (Type 3 Phonetic) (gather [in hand] then conceal) + 女 woman → woman who conceals herself out of modesty or hatred → hate; dislike; disagreeable; unpleasant; antipathy; unwilling to do (← shrink from) → doubt.
謙 (17) ケン Formerly 
As per 兼 (Type 3 Phonetic) (gather [in hand] then conceal) + 言 words → words of a reserved, refraining nature, that conceal one's true intent → modesty; humility.
欠 (4) ケツ；か（かす・く・け・ける） S/B 
S/B is a pictograph of a bent, open-mouthed figure → yawn (← open mouth). 欠 now also bears the senses of 缺 (hole scooped into earthenware to create a container), accounting for the meanings scoop out → lack; miss/be missing; break (off); chip (off); broken piece; fragment → flaw.
陥 (10) カン；おちい（る）；おとしい（れる） Formerly 陷
As per 臽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (person concealed in falling into a hole) + 阜 piled earth → fall into a hole in the ground → ensnare; entrap; capture; sink; pitfall.
今 (4) キン；コン；いま S/B 
S/B shows a cover (compare 会 and 合) + a mark indicating contents → cover an object, concealing it. Now comes from the idea of the precise moment that must be seized in order to catch prey.
含 (7) ガン；ふく（む・める）
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 口 mouth → contain in the mouth (compare 甘); contain; include. Extended meanings include bear (in mind); have; hold and imply, as well as give instructions and understand (← give instructions that the hearer takes in and comprehends).
吟 (7) ギン
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 口 mouth → sound contained within the mouth (but not the voice itself; compare 音) → groan; moan; hum; sing; recite → poem. 吟 and 含 are an example of a pair of characters devised from the same elements but expressing different meanings; for another example, see 忙 and 忘.
念 (8) ネン
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 心 heart/emotions → thought/idea contained deep within the heart (compare 意) → caution (← profound idea).
琴 (12) キン；こと
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 玉 jewel doubled (→ shape indicator suggesting the outline of a particular musical instrument) → musical instrument in which the sound is enclosed within a sealed base → koto (Japanese harp/zither).
陰 (11) イン；かげ；かげ（る）
The right-hand element (Type 2 Phonetic) is 云 (rising vapors) + 今 (contain) → be clouded over and gloomy. 陰 adds 阜 piled earth → side of a hill that is clouded over and receives no sunlight → be clouded over; shadow; dark; obscure → back/behind; negative; gloomy. 陰 is the YIN of YIN-YANG (YANG is 陽).
飲 (12) イン；の（む） BIS  Formerly 飮
BIS is as per 酓 (Type 1 Phonetic) (pour liquor into a container and shut it tight) + 欠 bent, open-mouthed figure → pour liquor into the mouth → drink; swallow; take (medicine) → smoke (tobacco) (← consume with the mouth). Eventually, 酓 was replaced by 食 food/eating.
金 (8) キン；コン；かな；かね BIS 
BIS is as per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 土 earth + random marks → gold contained here and there within the earth → money; metal; yellow; golden.
減 (12) ゲン；へ（らす・る）
As per 咸 (Type 1 Phonetic) (shut) + 水 water → flow of water that is (partially) blocked at its source → reduce; decrease; diminish; dwindle; subtract → be hungry.
感 (13) カン
咸 (Type 1 Phonetic) (shut) + 心 heart/emotions → be shocked to the point one cannot utter intelligible words (compare 音) → (intense) emotion/feeling.
憾 (16) カン
As per 感 (Type 1 Phonetic) (be shocked to the point one cannot utter intelligible words) + 心 heart/emotions → heart that bears unutterable feelings of regret.
音 (9) オン；イン；おと；ね SIS 
SIS shows 言 (Type 2 Phonetic) (clearly enunciated) words + a line in the mouth element at the bottom → impediment to clear speech → indistinct utterance → sound; noise; tone → news/word of; ON reading of a kanji (← read a character for its sound; the contrast is to 訓, where the idea is to grasp the signification of a character).
暗 (13) アン；くら（い）
音 (Type 1 Phonetic) sound (here in its original sense of a sound all but contained in the mouth) + 日 sun/day → scant light contained within a room shut off from the outside → dark; dim → secretly; hidden; gloomy; ignorant.
禁 (13) キン
林 (Type 3 Phonetic) forest + 示 altar/the supernatural → sanctified ground contained within a forest, access to which is restricted → prohibition; abstain; rule.
襟 (18) キン；えり
As per 禁 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sanctified ground contained within a forest → contain) + 衣 clothing → article of clothing that serves to contain the chest → collar.
勘 (11) カン
甚 (Type 3 Phonetic) intensity; great degree + 力 power/energy → penetrate deeply → consider thoroughly; perception; intuition (← profound insight). Compare 含 and 念.
堪 (12) カン；タン；たえ（る）
甚 (Type 3 Phonetic) intensity; great degree + 土 earth → dense mountain → endure; bear; (with)stand (← dense object that bears the deep penetration of another object) → fitting (← fit to endure pressure).
応 (7) オウ Formerly 應
The top element (Type 1 Phonetic) of 應 is 隹 short, squat bird + 人 person + 广 building (→ a cover) → person taking possession of a bird and clutching it to the chest (compare 擁) → receive; accept. 應 adds 心 heart/emotions → receive a (negative) impression on the heart/emotions → respond; reply (← receive something and offer a corresponding word or gesture) → accede/agree (to); reward; return.
凵 (2) カン
A pictograph of a hole/depression in which something is encompassed or concealed.
广 (3) ゲン
A pictograph of a roof → building.
艶 (19) エン；つや；つや（めく・やか） Alternate Form 艷
(The previous form of) 豊 rich + 色 color/appearance → rich color → gloss; luster; sheen → sexy; seductive; bewitching; charming.
函 (8) カン；はこ BIS  Alternate Form 凾
BIS is a pictograph of an arrow contained within a box → place inside.
涵 (11) カン
函 (Type 1 Phonetic) place inside + 水 water → soak → immerse/be immersed.
奄 (8) エン
As per 申 (Type 5 Phonetic) (stretch) + 大 person standing outstretched → stretch to cover (and conceal or protect) an object. Compare 掩.
俺 (10) エン；おれ
奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) cover + 人 person → cover/conceal oneself → I; me.
庵 (11) アン；いおり
奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) cover + 广 building → small dwelling covered with a thatched roof → hermitage; (Buddhist) monastery.
掩 (11) エン
奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) cover + 手 hand/action indicator → cover and conceal an object. Compare 奄.
罨 (13) エン；アン
奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) cover + 罒 net → cover fish with a net and catch them.
咸 (9) カン；みな
口 mouth + 戈 spear/halberd → absorb a spear thrust, causing the mouth to shut tight in shock → all (together) (← close ranks ← shut tight).
緘 (15) カン；とじ（る）
As per 咸 (Type 1 Phonetic) (shut) + 糸 thread → shut and seal with a rope → close.
鹹 (20) カン
As per 咸 (Type 1 Phonetic) (shut) + 鹵 salt/alkali → salt contained in the mouth for tasting (compare 塩) → salty taste that causes the lips to pucker (compare 吸).
衿 (9) キン；えり
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 衣 clothing → part of a garment that surrounds the neck → collar; lapel. Compare how the same combination of elements is employed to create different meanings in 衾.
衾 (10) キン；ふすま
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 衣 clothing → bedclothes → bedding; quilt. Compare how the same combination of elements is employed to create different meanings in 衿.
唸 (11) テン；うな（る）
As per 念 (Type 1 Phonetic) (idea contained in the heart → contain) + 口 mouth → chant/recite in a mumbled voice (compare 吟) → hum; groan; moan; growl; snarl.
酓 (11) エン
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 酉 alcohol container → pour liquor into a container and shut it tight → accumulate → bitter (← bitterness of fermented liquor).
禽 (13) キン BIS  SIS 
BIS is as per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + a net with a handle → capture birds or animals with a net (compare 畢) → (captive) bird → captive. SIS adds a pictograph of an animal's buttocks.
擒 (16) キン；とりこ
As per 禽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (trap birds or animals with a net → capture; contain) + 手 hand/action indicator → capture → seize; captive. 擒 was devised to replace 禽 after the latter came to refer primarily to the birds and animals captured.
檎 (17) キン；ゴ
As per 禽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (trap birds or animals with a net → capture; contain) + 木 tree/wood → fruit contained within a tough skin (compare 柑). The compound 林檎 refers to an apple.
臽 (8) カン
Variant of 人 person + 臼 mortar (→ hole) → person concealed in falling into a hole/pit (compare 禍, 陥, 俗 and 凶).
焰 (12) エン；ほのお；ほむら Alternate Form 焔
As per 臽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (person concealed in falling into a hole) + 火 fire → flame that covers the pit in which it burns. Note that 炎 may substitute for 焰 in compounds.
閻 (16) エン
As per 臽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (person concealed in falling into a hole) + 門 gate → concealing village gate, with posts dropped in holes. Beautiful is a borrowed meaning.
餡 (17) アン
As per 臽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (person concealed in falling into a hole) + 食 food/eating → meat, vegetables or sweets crammed into a bun → bean jam.
坩 (8) カン；つぼ
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 土 earth → earthen pot (in which to contain things).
酣 (12) カン；たけなわ
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 酉 alcohol container → be filled with alcohol → joy (← riotous drinking party) → be at the height of; be in full swing.
鉗 (13) カン；ケン；つぐ（む）；はさみ
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 金 metal → confine an object in a metal frame → pincers → shut one's mouth. Compare 鋏.
厭 (14) エン；オン；あ（きる）；いと（う） BIS  SIS 
BIS combines 口 mouth (→ taste) + 肉 flesh + 犬 dog/beast → fatty meat. SIS adds 厂 cliff/shape indicator (cover) and substitutes 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) for 口 → the disagreeable sensation of fatty/greasy meat contained in the stomach → be satiated; become tired/sick of. Over time, 甘 was simplified or miscopied into 日, creating the present form.
欽 (12) キン；コン
As per 金 (Type 1 Phonetic) (metal contained here and there within the earth → contain) + 欠 bent, open-mouthed figure → contain one's facial expression and outward actions out of respect → revere.
錦 (16) キン；にしき
金 (Type 1 Phonetic) gold + 帛 cloth/silk → silk into which gold is woven → brocade → fine clothing; beautiful.
諳 (16) アン；そら（んじる）
音 (Type 1 Phonetic) sound (here in its original sense of a sound all but contained in the mouth) + 言 words → murmur → memorize; learn by heart (← murmur in memorizing).
鷹 (24) オウ；ヨウ；たか
As per the top element (Type 1 Phonetic) of 應, the previous form of 応 (clutch a bird to the chest) + 鳥 bird. In China the term has been applied to various birds of prey including eagles and falcons, but in Japan 鷹 refers to a hawk.
柑 (9) カン
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 木 tree/wood → tree that bears sweet fruit contained within a tough skin (compare 檎) → (mandarin) orange; tangerine; citrus.
疳 (10) カン
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 疒 illness → gastroenteric disorder afflicting children, the origin of which is contained deep within the body → childhood illness(es).
拑 (8) カン；ケン
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 手 hand/action indicator → contain/restrain (by clamping down/by sandwiching etc.). Also, by a figurative application, repress speech.
箝 (14) カン；ケン；はさ（む） Alternate Form 篏
As per 拑 (Type 1 Phonetic) (clamp down on/sandwich between) + 竹 bamboo → bamboo implement (such as tongs, tweezers etc.) used to clamp down on or sandwich an object → shut one's mouth; remain silent. Compare 噤.
嵌 (12) カン；は（まる・める）
The lower element (Type 1 Phonetic) is as per 甘 (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 欠 bent, open-mouthed figure → place an object in a cavity (← cavity ← open-mouthed). 嵌 adds 山 mountain → deep gorge of a mountain → depression. Inlay and fit into are atavistic meanings.
魘 (24) エン；ヨウ；うな（される）
As per 厭 (Type 1 Phonetic) (greasy meat weighing heavily on the intestines → press down on) + 鬼 large, round-headed ghost; demon → be pressed upon by a fearsome spirit → (have a) nightmare.
瞰 (17) カン；み（る）
As per 敢 (Type 1 Phonetic) (concealed) + 目 eye → conceal oneself and spy upon a site (such as an enemy camp) → look; watch.
嵒 (12) ガン；いわ
口 here a shape indicator suggesting an object (tripled) + 山 mountain → large rock embedded in and protruding from a cliff. Compare 崟.
癌 (17) ガン
嵒 (Type 1 Phonetic) large rock + 疒 illness → cancerous tumor → cancer.
巌 (20) ガン；いわ；いわお；けわ（しい） Formerly 巖
巖 is 嚴 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 厳 severe (→ rugged) + 山 mountain → craggy mountain/hill → rock; crag; steep; precipitous.
頷 (16) カン；ガン；あご；うなず（く）
含 (Type 1 Phonetic) contain in the mouth + 頁 head → the jaw (which closes to contain food in the oral cavity) → chin. Nod (the head) is by association with the up and down movement made by the jaw in chewing.
稔 (13) ネン；ジン；ニン；つ（む）；とし；みの（る）
As per 念 (Type 1 Phonetic) (idea contained in the heart → contain) + 禾 grain/rice → ripening of grain contained in a husk → ripen (compare 莟) → harvest. Also, year (← harvest as completion of a cycle; compare 年 and 歳).
蔭 (14) イン；かげ
陰 (Type 1 Phonetic) shadow + 艸 grass/plant → shade cast by vegetation. Also, help (← protect ← protective shade).
撼 (16) カン；うご（かす）
As per 感 (Type 1 Phonetic) (be shocked to the point one cannot utter intelligible words) + 手 hand/action indicator → give a jolt → move; shake.
膺 (17) オウ；ヨウ；むね
As per the top element (Type 1 Phonetic) of 應, the previous form of 応 (clutch a bird to the chest) + 肉 flesh → the breast/chest. Undertake and strike are borrowed meanings.
噤 (16) キン；つぐ（む）
As per 禁 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sanctified ground contained within a forest → contain) + 口 mouth → contain oneself and remain silent → shut one's mouth (compare 箝) → shut.
莟 (10) ガン；カン；つぼみ
含 (Type 1 Phonetic) contain in the mouth + 艸 grass/plant → the full stem and spears of a rice plant about to blossom; bud (compare 晗). Compare also 稔 (grain contained in a husk).
黔 (16) ケン；くろ（い）
As per 今 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain) + 黑 the previous form of 黒 black → black; grow dark (← be contained in darkness; compare 黯).
淹 (11) エン；ひた（す）
As per 奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) (cover) + 水 water → cover with water; soak. Also, stop (← immobilize by covering with water).
菴 (11) アン；いおり
As per 奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) (cover) + 艸 grass/plant → thatched structure. 菴 is effectively an alternate form of 庵 hermitage.
閹 (16) エン
As per 奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) (cover) + 門 gate (→ palace gates) → castrated (palace) servant (← servant ministering to females secluded within a palace; compare 后).
淦 (11) カン；あか
金 (Type 1 Phonetic) metal + 水 water → scale (i.e. the mineral deposit, which covers and obscures the original surface of an object). Also, bilge water.
銜 (14) カン；ガン；くつわ；ふく（む） Alternate Form 啣
金 (Type 1 Phonetic) metal + 行 (straight, crossing roads) → metallic, T-shaped horse's bit, covered when the animal bites down upon it → place/hold in the mouth. Also, keep in mind (← thoughts contained within; compare 憶).
儼 (22) ゲン；おごそ（か）
嚴 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 厳 severe (→ rugged) + 人 person → rugged, stern individual → firm; solemn → majestic.
坎 (7) カン；あな
As per 欠 (Type 1 Phonetic) bent, open-mouthed figure + 土 earth → hole/depression in the earth (← cavity ← open-mouthed) → cause to fall into a hole; cut a hole into; dig a hole; fall into a difficult situation.
戡 (13) カン；か（つ）
甚 (Type 3 Phonetic) intensity; great degree + 戈 spear/halberd → cut deeply and kill.
蚶 (11) カン
As per 甘 (Type 1 Phonetic) (sweet food contained in the mouth) + 虫 insect/creature → ark shell (contained firmly within its protective covering).
轗 (20) カン
As per 感 (Type 1 Phonetic) (be shocked to the point one cannot utter intelligible words → be rendered immobile/impotent) + 車 vehicle → vehicle fallen into a hole and rendered immobile → be in difficulty.
黯 (21) アン；くら（い）
音 (Type 1 Phonetic) sound (here in its original sense of a sound all but contained in the mouth) + 黑 the previous form of 黒 black → dark and gloomy (← be contained in darkness; compare 黔) → depressed emotions.
黶 (26) エン；ほくろ
As per 厭 (Type 1 Phonetic) (greasy meat weighing heavily on the intestines → press down on) + 黑 the previous form of 黒 black → mole; skin blemish; facial mole (← dark object pressing upon/covering the skin).
龕 (22) ガン；カン
As per 合 (Type 2 Phonetic) (press/fit together) + 龍 dragon → chamber carved into a cliff or stupa and containing a Buddhist image or treasures; case in which a Buddhist image is contained. Here, as in 寵, 龍 represents a treasured object.
盦 (16) アン
As per 酓 (Type 1 Phonetic) (pour liquor into a container and shut it tight) + 皿 dish/plate/bowl → lidded vessel; lid. Also, hermitage (← roofed [= lidded} hut; compare 庵).
黤 (20) アン；オン
As per 奄 (Type 1 Phonetic) (cover) + 黑, the previous form of 黒 black → cover in darkness → black; dark.
喑 (12) イン；オン；おし
音 (Type 1 Phonetic) sound (here in its original sense of a sound all but contained in the mouth) + 口 mouth → sob (← indistinct sounds contained in the mouth). Also, mute (← state in which nothing distinct is conveyed orally) → remain silent.
瘖 (14) イン
音 (Type 1 Phonetic) sound (here in its original sense of a sound all but contained in the mouth) + 疒 illness → illness rendering one unable to produce distinct words (compare 喑) → dumb; mute; unable/unwilling to speak.
廕 (14) イン
陰 (Type 1 Phonetic) shadow + 广 building → covering structure that provides both shade and protection → cover.
弇 (9) エン；おお（う）
As per 合 (Type 2 Phonetic) (press/fit together) + 廾 pair of hands → hands pressing a cover over an object → cover → hide (← hide objects in a covered container).
揜 (12) エン；おお（う）
弇 (Type 1 Phonetic) cover; hide + 手 hand/action indicator (for emphasis) → cover; cover and hide.
懕 (18) エン
As per 厭 (Type 1 Phonetic) (greasy meat weighing heavily on the intestines → press down on) + 心 heart/emotions → be satiated → be content.
厴 (19) エン；へた
As per 厭 (Type 1 Phonetic) (greasy meat weighing heavily on the intestines → press down on) + 甲 (armor/helmet) → shell (← protective armor that presses upon the body of the creature occupying it).
饜 (23) エン；あ（きる）
As per 厭 (Type 1 Phonetic) (greasy meat weighing heavily on the intestines → press down on) + 食 food/eating → eat one's fill; be satiated.
灎 (23) エン Alternate Form 灔
The right-hand element (Type 1 Phonetic) combines 豊 abundance + 盍 (press a lid on a container) → abundant contents spilling from a container. 灎 adds 水 water → overflowing water → flowing/moving water.
欿 (12) カン
As per 臽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (person concealed in falling into a hole) + 欠 bent, open-mouthed figure → crave to fill a physical or emotional emptiness → be discontent/dissatisfied.
緎 (15) カン；と（じる）
As per 咸 (Type 1 Phonetic) (shut) + 糸 thread → seam that binds material shut. Also, contain.
憨 (16) カン
As per 敢 (Type 1 Phonetic) (concealed) + 心 heart/emotions → foolish (← slash at concealed [= non-existent] enemies, as per the original sense of 敢).
歆 (13) キン；う（ける）
音 (Type 1 Phonetic) sound (here in its original sense of a sound all but contained in the mouth) + 欠 bent, open-mouthed figure → gladly take in/receive an offering (of food) → receive (literally and figuratively).
嶔 (15) キン
欽 (Type 1 Phonetic) respect; revere + 山 mountain → steep and high mountain that inspires reverence.
廞 (15) キン；ギン
As per 欽 (Type 1 Phonetic) (contain one's facial expression and outward actions → restrain) + 广 building → restrain an attack a structure by aligning vehicles or other obstacles in front of it → align; obstruct.
嗛 (13) ケン；カン；キョウ；ふく（む）
As per 兼 (Type 3 Phonetic) (gather [in hand] then conceal) + 口 mouth → (mouth/cheek) pouch (of a monkey or squirrel) → hold; contain. Insufficient is a borrowed meaning, via 歉.
晗 (11) カン
含 (Type 1 Phonetic) contain + 日 sun/day → the sun, as yet contained in darkness → pre-dawn. Compare 莟, which also features the idea of an object just about to make its appearance.
崟 (11) ギン
As per 金 (Type 1 Phonetic) (metal contained here and there within the earth → contain) + 山 mountain → rugged mountain (containing protruding boulders; compare 嵒) → steep, rugged mountain.
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Etymological Keypoints
This column of keypoints appears on each page of this online etymological dictionary of kanji, Chinese characters as used in Japan. For detailed information on any of the following topics, click the MORE hyperlinks to reach the appropriate sections of the Reference Page.
Types of Characters
Chinese characters are of three types: pictographs, ideographs and compound characters.
Pictographs
Pictographs are representations of concrete objects: moon, sun, river, mountain, bird, sword, mouth, hand and so on. Pictographs also account for nearly all of the radicals (or classifiers) as described below in the Compound Characters section. There are several hundred pictographs in all. MORE
Ideographs
The handful of ideographs among the Chinese characters convey abstract notions such as unity, concealment, extension etc. MORE
Compound Characters
Compound Characters are composed of two elements. The first element is a "radical" (or "classifier"). Character dictionaries assign nearly all characters to one of approximately 70 of these radicals.
The second element is a sound note, suggesting both the pronunciation and the meaning of the character. In a small number of compound characters the sound conveyed by the second element is anomalous, for which reason compound characters have traditionally been divided into phonetic compounds and semantic compounds.
MORE on Phonetic Compounds
MORE on Semantic Compounds
Phonetic elements (or sound notes) most often match that of the compound character precisely, such as 夬 KUAT and 決 KUAT. In other instances the initial or final consonants are altered: 甚 TAM and 勘 KAM; 胥 SAG and 婿 SAR. In a smaller number of cases the vowel is transposed: 而 NAG and 需 NUG. We also find phonetic elements functioning in other ways such as to convey onomatopoeic or mimetic sounds, to transliterate loan words and so on. There are eight types of sound notes in all. MORE
Word Formation In Proto-Chinese
This dictionary arranges Chinese characters according to word families of phonologically and semantically related terms. Building upon research undertaken by Bernhard Karlgren and Akiyasu Todo, the earliest sounds of the terms in proto-Chinese are reconstructed along the pattern Consonant-Vowel-Consonant. MORE
Initial consonants are K, L, M, N, P, S and T. The vowel in most terms is something between short A and E, here rendered as A. The vowel may also be O or U, and a number of word families feature the medial glide UA. Final consonants are G/K, NG, M, N, P, R and T.
Semantic Function of Consonants
Each initial consonant suggests a broad semantic background for characters beginning with that consonant. Here are the semantic indicators for each initial consonant, followed by a partial selection of the kinds of terms found in each initial consonant network.
Initial K- = Frame: boxes and containers; foundations of buildings; cavities; enclosed passageways; shackles/handcuffs; square tools; crossroads; humans, gates and other objects framing each other by standing in opposition; nuts in shells, grain in husks, beans/peas in a pod, shellfish in shells and other objects in containers; yokes; molds; footwear and garments that contain the body in full or part
Initial L- = Continuum: footpaths; literal and figurative belts; strips of material; stripes; dripping, flowing or trickling water/liquid; linked waves; patterned grain of wood; chains/cables; lengths of rope; interwoven vegetation; furrows; stretching vines
Initial M- = Conceal: the sun concealed (by darkness, cloud cover, vegetation); threads, insects, and heads of grain that are fine/tiny to the point of near-invisibility; persons concealed by passing away; fish nets or traps concealed beneath the surface of the water; physical/figurative blindness; concealing grass/vegetation; concealing curtains or pieces of cloth
Initial N- = Supple: supple female bodies; supple body parts (ears, earlobes, droopy beard); vegetation/food softened/made supple by being heated; cloth/fabric softened in liquid; bodies wasted/softened by illness; swordblades and other flexible weapons; clinginess; seals created from softened clay; pliable hides; vines and other supple objects that coil/twist about; gently bending arms and vegetation
Initial P- = Spread: goods spread for display/sale; food spread for a feast/meal; spreading leaves/vegetation; liquid/fragrance that spreads to right and left, or in all directions; liquid overflowing its container; hands spread to slap/strike, or to grip a handle; spreading wounds; spreading tiles; lightning spreading through the sky; waterplants spreading over the surface of water; sails and other types of spreading cloth; seeds spread through fields; pelts/fabric wrapped about the body; wings wrapped around a bird's body; sea creatures enveloped in shells; objects such as fabric or soft boards that spread in being folded back upon themselves
Initial S- = Small/Thin/Slender: piles of vegetation, plant matter, grain, food etc; piled rocks; piled earth; pile of wood shavings; objects that are cut/aligned irregularly; long or tall, slender objects such as masts, reeds, wells or fences; hairpins, phalluses, trails of liquid and other slender objects that penetrate tight spaces; fragments of metal, wood or bone; moss, coral, baby teeth and other small, tightly adhering objects; arrangements of small/fine objects such as thorns on a plant, birds in trees or sand on a beach; sheaves, wheel spokes converging in hubs, arrows compacted in a quiver and other tightly compressed objects
Initial T- = Straight: literal piles of objects such as firewood, meat, valuables or metal; figurative piles; lizards, snakes, wriggling insects and other straight creatures; the shuttle of a loom, a horizontal bar on a vehicle and other machines/machine parts that move in a straight line; straight movement in both vertical and horizontal directions; pipes, tubes, caverns and other straight, tubular objects; flames, gas, the sun and other rising objects
(Initial S terms represent a branch of the initial T group, emphasizing small/thin/slender applications of the idea of straightness.) MORE
Among the final consonants, the G/K ending suggests that the meaning of the character is directly connected with the main idea expressed by the initial consonant (see above). KAG/LAG/MAG/NAG/PAG/SAG/TAG and their final K variants KAK/LAK/MAK/NAK/PAK/SAK/TAK may be considered linguistic templates which the other finals modify to create more specific meanings for the relevant terms. Each of the remaining final consonants suggests a specific semantic nuance for the characters ending with that consonant. Here are the semantic indicators for each final consonant, followed by a partial selection of the kinds of terms found in each final consonant group.
Final -NG = Extend: bodies that stretch and/or go stiff; persons or objects standing in distant opposition; sound/fragrance drifting from one point to another, linking the two points in distant opposition; actions or processes that continue a long time, such as savoring food in the mouth, protracted spasms, lengthy songs or dramatic performances; endlessly flowing water; vegetation spreading out of sight; long strings of shells/jewels; writing/ornamentation spread at length over a surface; tall piles or long trails of objects; steam, vapor or gas that rises high in the air
Final -M = Encompass: people fallen into holes; food or other objects contained in the mouth; fruit encompassed by skin; grain encompassed by husks; objects covered by thick vegetation or by darkness; drenched objects; a fetus encompassed in a womb; needles, hairpins and other slender objects concealed in filling narrow spaces; cavities and containers filled with liquid
Final -N = Adhere/Be proximate: weapons contacting an enemy's body; contact of body parts with other objects; hunting/fishing implements contacting their targets; tightly knit groups of people, birds, fish and other creatures; tight rows of like objects; cloth tightly wrapped about (parts of) the body; roofs fit upon buildings; paired objects in close proximity; points of contact between land and water; proximate pieces of finely cut/chopped objects such as vegetation and food; objects lying flat on the ground
Final -P = Press: be pressed upon by attackers; objects sandwiched between others; objects exerting pressure downward, or directly upon the ground; tight compaction of like objects such as threads, insects or vegetation; human bodies pressing upon bedding or upon other human bodies
Final -R = Continuum: elongated objects such as garments or weapons; prolonged activity such as speech, prayer, singing, rituals, irrigation, erosion, carving, scraping, polishing or sharpening of knives; prolonged sensations such as reverberations, irritation or illness; continuous states or relationships such as human friendship, reverence of ancestors or the lasting effect of glue-like substances; neat lines of people or of objects such as eaves, fruit or footprints; abstract elongation such as in the slow passage of time
Final -T = Cut/Divide/Reduce: reduction in size by cutting of vegetation, carving of wood, or biting/chewing of food; division of objects such as in the splitting of logs or the ripping of cloth; reduction of empty space in objects such as rooms and containers, or in the covering of open space by vegetation or water; reduction in length such as in knotting a rope; reduction of darkness by the application of light; reduction of physical capacities on account of fatigue, illness, blindness or numbness; reduction of physical capacities of animals by trapping, tethering or penning them; reduction of emotional capacities on account of anger, distress or excitement MORE
Semantic Function of the O and U Vowels
The vowel O suggests the idea of curvature, sometimes extending to "curve and surround/envelop."The U vowel, when it is the lone vowel in a term (examples: KUG, LUG, SUG, TUNG) refers to a circle (whether full or nearly full) or to a bulky/lumpy mass. However, when the U vowel is employed as part of the diphthong UA (examples: KUAN/KUAR/KUAT, SUAN/SUAR/SUAT), the signification is most often the O vowel sense of curving/round.
Here are the semantic indicators for these vowels, followed by a partial selection of representative terms.
Vowel O = Curvature: backs bent with illness or age; tree branches or the necks of humans/animals bent with weight; contorted bodies; trees bent with decay; arched bridges; curved stretches of land or other natural phenomena such as caverns; winding constructions such as palaces and official buildings; birds or the sun curving into sight over the horizon; coiling vegetation, snakes or threads; curved movement such as in kneading or bending objects into shape, sweeping with a broom, or rowing a boat; bulging objects such as water jugs, gourds, pimples or pregnant bellies; curved objects such as eggs, nuts or colanders; objects with curved portions such as a swordblade, the hull of a boat, or a flag attached to a pole and flapping in the breeze; arcs formed by liquid poured from a container, or by humans/animals moving in a semi-circle
Vowel U = Circle/Mass: round objects such as baskets, huts or circular buildings; lumpy objects such as heads, hunched bodies, breasts; skin protuberances or tree stumps; massive objects such as pillars, ridgepoles, downed boars or heavy bells; crowds of people or swarms of insects/creatures; curved objects such as earthenware, roofs or animal horns; round cavities filled with fluid or occupied by bodies; circuitous trails, winding hills and other curved landscape features; masses of hair such as in topknots or shaggy dog fur; masses of grain/vegetation; heaps of food; tightly-massed inanimate objects such as ships in a harbor, spokes in a hub or precious stones in an accessory; objects compacted by hand or tightly grasped in the fist
Vowel UA = Curving/Round: melons; wings; hoops; baskets; round and tubular containers; pools of water; objects enclosed in the hands; crowns; arcs or halos of light; circular piles of vegetation; round fruit; barrels; revolving objects and other forms of rotating/circular movement; rounded mountain tops or hill peaks; round bundles of goods or of vegetation; curling of the fingertips or cupping of the hands; strips of cloth wrapped about and covering the eyes; bound objects such as scrolls and tablets; round fish eggs; blossoming buds; cylindrical tubes, skewers or blocks; puckering of the lips; persons or objects arranged in a circle; squatting figures; winding waterways or passages; round holes and tools for drilling round holes MORE
Sample Terms
Semantically related terms are by no means restricted to a single consonant network. Five kanji concerned with the humble pea or bean and their seed vessels (the pod) suggest why and how this is.
The KAP word family (Frame + Press) contains the character 莢, meaning "pod." Here, the twin sides of the seed vessel are visualized as framing elements that press against the peas or beans contained within.
In the KUAN word family (Frame + [Curving/Round] + Adhere/Be Proximate) we find 豌 ("pea"), referring to the round legumes contained in and adhering to the framing element, the pod.
The NAM word family (Supple + Encompass/Conceal) has 荏 "beans," that is, beans covered and hidden by a supple pod.
荅 "bean pod" belongs to the TAP word family (Straight + Press). Here, the emphasis is on the pod as a straight object the sides of which exert pressure upon the contents.
Finally, 荳 "bean" is a member of the TUG word family (Straight + Circle/Mass + Straight). In this case, the emphasis is on the round or lumpy shape of the bean contained in the straight object, the pod. MORE
Using the Dictionary
Hyperlinks to individual word families are located at the left side of this page. To look up individual characters, use the search box at top right or one of the four indices at the located at the top center of the page.
For ease of reference, characters presented within an etymology are hyperlinked to their full etymological explanation.
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Site Contents Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Lawrence J. Howell
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