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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 KUAT
Semantic Values of the Sound KUAT:
Frame + (Curving/Round) + Cut/Divide/Reduce
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The terms in this word family add the nuance of curvature or roundness to the KAT family theme of Frame + Cut/Divide/Reduce.
Examples of the forms taken by this combination include circumambulation in patrolling (衛), pouring out of liquid contents from the round opening of a container (活), constriction of the round opening of a container (括), a packed gathering of people (会) or threads (絵), a dike scooped out to permit the flow of water (決), harvesting round grains of rice with a sickle-like implement (歳), the scooped-out appearance of a crescent moon (月 and 外), the employment of roundabout/devious methods (拐), a bone circulating freely in its socket (骨), hands compressing a large, round bundle (貴), a deep bowl into which sacrificial blood was drained (血), individuals standing in a circle (位), a moat (堀), the flattening of round objects (尉), and a hole dug in creating a cave dwelling (穴).
Among the non-Everyday Use Characters, we find the following examples:
Grind the ingredients for a rich alcoholic concoction (鬱)
Impede speech (詘)
Impediment to hearing (聵)
Tightly wrapped vegetation (彗, 檜, 蕨, 薈)
Trees overhanging a road (樾)
A tree with a crown of leaves at top (杌)
A tightly wrapped present/offering (饋)
A battle-ax with a rounded handle (戉)
The upward-curving shafts of a vehicle (軏)
Scooping out of a hole (夬, 缺, 刮, 豁, 抉)
A jewel with a scooped-out appearance (玦)
A hole-damaged horn (觖)
Place the foot in a depression to gain leverage (蹶)
A round opening (筈, 蛞, 潏, 搰)
A lump of food that is consumed (噲)
A compressed bundle of threads (繢)
Amputation of a limb, revealing the round opening of a joint (孒, 刖)
Round wood chips (榾)
A round basket (簣)
Pack animals that tighten a circle about their prey (獪, 猾, 獗)
Forcible reduction of contents (潰, 匱)
A container (櫃, 厥)
A constrictive wooden frame (栝)
A coffin (槥)
The cylindrical snout of a pig (喙)
Constriction of the mouth (嗢, 嘒)
Closure of a gate (闋)
A cane/walking stick used by an elderly person with a bent back (枴)
Bend the body (窟, 崛)
Extensions of meaning or abstract applications of the senses noted above are found in the remaining characters in this group.
衛 (16) エイ Formerly 衞 BIS  SIS 
BIS shows four feet circulating about a particular spot. SIS reduces the number of feet to two, adds four marks around the perimeter, and appends 帀 (circulate) → protect/defend a centrally located object by patrolling the perimeter, dividing inhabitants from potential attackers. The present form combines 行 crossroads/movement with 韋 (Type 2 Phonetic) (feet crossing in circumambulation).
活 (9) カツ S/B  SIS 
S/B is a pictograph of a carving implement resembling a wrench. SIS adds 口 mouth, here a shape indicator suggesting a hole → round opening cut into a container. 活 is 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) + 水 water → pour out the liquid contents of a container → activity; life. Note that the 舌 element here is etymologically distinct from the independent character 舌 "tongue."
括 (9) カツ
As per 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) as described in 活 (round opening cut into a container) + 手 hand/action indicator → constrict the round opening of a container → fasten; tie; bind.
話 (13) ワ；はなし；はな（す）
As per 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) as described in 活 (round opening cut into a container) + 言 words → speak harmoniously (compare 和) → tell; talk together; converse; discuss → story; conversation; consultation; news; topic; rumor.
憩 (16) ケイ；いこ（い・う） Alternate Form 憇
As per 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) as described in 活 (round opening cut into a container) + 息 breath → breathe deeply through puckered lips → rest; relaxation.
会 (6) カイ；エ；あ（う） Formerly 會 SIS 
SIS shows a covered object (compare 今 and 合) + 曾 (pile upon) → tightly packed, indoor gathering → meet; assemble → (conduct an) interview.
絵 (12) エ；カイ Formerly 繪
As per 會/会 (Type 1 Phonetic) (gather into a select unit) + 糸 thread → picture (made of gathered threads) → paint.
快 (7) カイ；こころよ（い）
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 心 heart/emotions → pleasant; comfortable (← heart with all the unpleasantness scooped out of it) → refreshing; enjoyable. Compare 欠/缺.
決 (7) ケツ；き（まる・める） Alternate Form 决
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 水 water → dike scooped out to permit the flow of water → decide; determine; settle (← cut through to a decision ← cut an opening; compare 折 and 断).
越 (12) エツ；こ（える・す）
As per 戉 (Type 1 Phonetic) (battle-ax → cut an opening with a sharp weapon) + 走 run → place one's foot in a hole scooped into a hill (or cut into a stake) to spring up and clear an obstacle → cross; go over/beyond; exceed → pass; pass time; go; come; move (house). Compare 超.
歳 (13) サイ；セイ Formerly 
As per 戉 (Type 1 Phonetic) (battle-ax → sickle) + a modified form of 歩 walk → walk about a field, harvesting rice by scooping it from the ears of the plant with a sickle-like implement → year; age (← harvest as the end of a long agricultural cycle; compare 年).
月 (4) ゲツ；ガツ；つき S/B  BIS  SIS  SCR 
Pictograph of a crescent moon, which presents a scooped-out appearance → month. Monday is a borrowing.
外 (5) ガイ；ゲ；そと；はず（す・れ・れる）；ほか
夕 (Type 1 Phonetic) crescent moon (→ scooped/hollowed out; here, serving in place of 月) + 卜 divination → cast horoscopes on the basis of the invisible portion of the moon → outside; other → some/any other place; somebody else; others; besides. The sense of "the part other than the portion scooped out" leads to extended meanings such as take off; be/come off; remove; undo; take leave; evade; edge and outskirts → miss (the mark); be wrong; failure → violate.
届 (8) カイ；とど（く・け・ける） Formerly 屆
凷 is 凵 hole + 土 earth → lump of earth that fills a hole. 届 is 凷 (Type 1 Phonetic) + 尸 body → stocky person (compare 偉) who moves lethargically → arrive; reach; deliver (← make many stops in delivering goods and messages ← be apt to make many stops). Send and pass along are associated meanings, with report to, notification, registration, attend (to), and attain by extension.
拐 (8) カイ
叧 (Type 2 Phonetic) (variant of 冎 bone fit into a joint) + 手 hand/action indicator → trap a person in a figurative hole → deceive → kidnap.
骨 (10) コツ；ほね
As per 冎 (Type 2 Phonetic) (bone fit into a joint) + 肉 flesh → bone (fit into its joint). 骨 was devised to replace 冎 after the latter came to mean hollow/scoop out. Extended meanings include frame; ribs (of an umbrella); outline and spirit (← spirit required to carry out a mission, as fundamental to the task as bones to a body).
滑 (13) カツ；すべ（る）；なめ（らか）
骨 (Type 1 Phonetic) (freely moving) bone + 水 water → slip/slide freely due to moisture → glide; skate; ski → smooth. Also, fail and be demoted (← slip up and pay the consequences).
恵 (10) ケイ；めぐ（み・む） Formerly 惠
As per the top element (Type 5 Phonetic) as described in 專/専 (press down on an object in fixing it in place) + 心 heart/emotions → press a gift upon another person → bestow; favor → bless; have mercy on; benevolence; benefaction; kindness; warmth. Calm is an extended meaning, while smart is a borrowing.
穂 (15) スイ；ほ Formerly 穗
As per 惠/恵 (Type 1 Phonetic) (press upon) + 禾 grain/rice → grain plant with tips that form a lump → ears/heads of grain, pressing heavily upon each other → crest (of a wave). Also, point (of a spear/writing brush). The sound of this character is atavistic, modeled after 専 rather than 惠 /恵.
貴 (12) キ；たっと（い・ぶ）；とうと（い・ぶ） SIS 
SIS is 貝 (Type 3 Phonetic) commodities + a representation of a pair of hands wrapped about and compressing a large, round bundle → carry off a bundle of valuable goods → precious; value; cherish → respect; honor; noble.
血 (6) ケツ；ち S/B 
S/B is a pictograph of a deep bowl into which sacrificial blood was drained.
位 (7) イ；くらい
立 standing figure + 人 person → individuals standing in a circle, each occupying a particular spot → place; rank → the crown/throne.
屈 (8) クツ
出 (Type 3 Phonetic) protrude + 尸 buttocks → thrust out the buttocks, taking up additional space → bend.
堀 (11) クツ；ほり
As per 屈 (Type 1 Phonetic) (take up space) + 土 earth → (water-filled) moat; ditch.
掘 (11) クツ；ほ（る）
As per 屈 (Type 1 Phonetic) (take up space) + 手 hand/action indicator → dig the earth to fill a hole.
尉 (11) イ
Originally 寸 hand/action indicator + 火 fire + 尸 buttocks (→ round shape) + parallel lines indicating "line up" → line up objects, then flatten them in applying heat → iron → officer (← military officer who suppresses rebels). Eventually, 火 was replaced by 示.
慰 (15) イ；なぐさ（み・む・める）
As per 尉 (Type 1 Phonetic) (suppress) + 心 heart/emotions → pacify an enraged person → comfort; console; cheer up → relief; hobby; amusement; diversion; pastime; make sport of.
穴 (5) ケツ；あな
宀 roof/building + 八 (Type 3 Phonetic) divide right and left → dig a hole in making a cave dwelling.
曰 (4) エツ；いわ（く）
口 mouth + a mark suggesting the tongue → manipulate the tongue to restrict the passage of air in producing speech → say; speech indicator.
鬱 (29) ウツ Alternate Form 欝
木 tree/wood (doubled) here suggesting the byproducts fruits and nuts + 缶 (Type 2 Phonetic) bulging earthenware jug/vase + 冖 cover + 鬯 aromatic herbs + 彡 pattern (→ repeated action; compare 彭) → grind fruits, nuts and aromatic herbs, mix with alcohol, then seal in a container, creating a rich brew → dense/luxuriant growth; pervasiveness (← rich brew) → flourishing. Also, mood, gloom, melancholy and depression (← dense atmosphere ← rich brew).
詘 (12) クツ；チュツ
言 words + 出 (Type 8 Phonetic) here an abbreviated form of 屈 bend → stammer (compare 吃 and 訥). Bend, obey, yield and shrink from are borrowed meanings.
橘 (16) キツ；たちばな
As per 矞 (Type 3 Phonetic) (round hole → round) + 木 tree/wood → tree bearing a variety of round citrus fruit. たちばな (Citrus tachibana) is not the mandarin orange, but an inedible variety of citrus fruit native to Japan.
斡 (14) アツ
Abbreviated form (Type 8 Phonetic) of 乾 (sun rising high in the sky) + 斗 ladle → the Big Dipper circulating about Polaris → circulate. Also, administer (← be the focal point around which affairs center).
彗 (11) ズイ；スイ；は（く）；ほうき SIS 
SIS shows a hand wrapped around a neatly arranged broom or brush made of thin, curving ears of grain and bamboo branches (compare 帚) → brush; sweep. Comet is via the compound 彗星.
慧 (15) エ；ケイ
As per 彗 (Type 1 Phonetic) (broom/brush made of thin ears of grain and bamboo branches → thin) + 心 heart/emotions → fine workings of the heart/mind → intelligent; wise. An alternate form writes the element above 心 as it appears in 彗, with the horizontal line extended to the right.
戉 (5) エツ SIS 
SIS is a variant of 戈 spear/halberd, being a battle-ax with a rounded handle → halberd.
鉞 (13) エツ；まさかり
戉 (Type 1 Phonetic) battle-ax + 金 metal → metallic battle-ax.
夬 (4) カイ SIS 
SIS combines 又 hand/action indicator + 丨 (Type 2 Phonetic) line that penetrates from top to bottom + a hole/pit → scoop out a hole → part; separate (← separate contents in scooping a portion). 夬 later came to indicate an archery glove, as well as a コ-shaped device attached to a bow.
缺 (10) ケツ
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 缶 bulging earthenware jug/vase → hole scooped into earthenware to create a container. For other meanings, see 欠.
訣 (11) ケツ
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 言 words → sorrowful words (figuratively scooped from the depths of the heart) offered at a final parting → bid farewell; take leave of. Also, secret (← secret kept in the depths of one's heart).
兀 (3) コツ
儿 human figure + a horizontal line at top → thrust the head through a figurative barrier → thrust high/tall.
刮 (8) カツ
As per 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) as described in 活 (round opening cut into a container) + 刀 sword/knife → scoop out with a bladed implement (compare 歳) → scrape; shave → tear off.
筈 (12) カツ；はず
As per 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) as described in 活 (round opening cut into a container) + 竹 bamboo → notch of an arrow → notch on a bow (for a bowstring). Also, should/must (be) and have the expectation that (← fitting idea ← bowstring fitting the notch of an arrow).
蛞 (12) カツ
虫 insect/creature + 舌 (Type 8 Phonetic) here an abbreviated form of 括 (round opening cut into a container) → snail → slug (compare 蝓) → tadpole.
獪 (16) カイ
As per 會 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 会 (gather into a unit) + 犬 dog/beast → pack animals that hunt by tightening a circle about their prey (compare 猾) → sly; cunning (compare 狡).
檜 (17) カイ；ひ；ひのき Alternate Form 桧
As per 會 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 会 (gather into a unit) + 木 tree/wood → variety of cypress the leaves of which form a tight spiral → Japanese cypress.
膾 (17) カイ；なます Alternate Form 鱠
As per 會 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 会 (gather into a unit) + 肉 flesh → raw meat sliced thin and arranged on a platter → namasu (sliced vegetables and fish in a vinegar dressing).
猾 (13) カツ
As per 骨 (Type 1 Phonetic) (bone that moves in a complete circle) + 犬 dog/beast → pack animals that hunt by tightening a circle about their prey (compare 獪) → sly; cunning (compare 狡) → (put into) disorder (← use cunning to upset the customary order).
憒 (15) カイ
As per 貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (compress a bundle → reduce) + 心 heart/emotions → heart in a reduced state → be confused.
潰 (15) カイ；つい（える）；つぶ（す・れる）
As per 貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (compress a bundle → reduce) + 水 water → overflowing water causing the collapse of a structure (compare 濊) → rout/be routed; crush → sore (← inflammation bursting through the wall of an internal organ ← water bursting through a structure).
匱 (14) キ
As per 貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (compress a bundle → reduce) + 匚 enclosure → reduce/eliminate the contents of a container → empty container; empty; lacking.
櫃 (18) キ；ひつ
As per 匱 (Type 1 Phonetic) (empty container) + 木 tree/wood → wooden wardrobe/closet → chest; coffer; (wooden) tub.
諱 (17) キ；いみな
As per 韋 (Type 2 Phonetic) (feet crossing in circumambulation) + 言 words → circumlocution → loathe (← be loathe to say); posthumous name.
喙 (12) カイ
彖 (Type 5 Phonetic) pig + 口 mouth → the protruding snout of a pig → bill/beak. Also, pant (← heavy breathing ← pig's grunt). Distinguish 彖 from 彔.
闊 (17) カツ；ひろ（い） Alternate Form 濶
As per 活 (Type 1 Phonetic) (pour out the liquid contents of a container → freely flowing water) + 門 gate → gate with ample space, allowing easy passage → broad; wide → distant (← be wide apart). Compare 豁.
豁 (17) カツ
As per the previous form of 害 (Type 4 Phonetic) (cut off) + 谷 (depression) → scoop out an opening with a sharp implement → open; wide. Compare 闊.
穢 (18) ワイ；アイ；エ；きたな（い）；けが（す・れる）
As per 歳 (Type 1 Phonetic) (harvest rice by scooping it from the ears of the plant with a sickle-like implement) + 禾 grain/rice → scattered remains of harvested crops → be in disorder → dirty; filthy. Compare 濊.
魏 (18) ギ；たか（い）
As per 委 (Type 2 Phonetic) (rows of round, pendent grains of cereal) + 鬼 large, round-headed ghost; demon (→ round/lumpy) → rows of rounded mountain peaks, rising high. 魏 was also used in the name of a country in ancient China.
闋 (17) ケツ
As per 癸 (Type 2 Phonetic) (rotate) + 門 gate → gate that opens and shuts in rotation → shut → end → pause; take a rest.
謂 (16) イ；いい；い（う）；いわ（れ）；おも（う）
As per 胃 (Type 2 Phonetic) (round stomach → round) + 言 words → speak of a subject thoroughly, as though making a complete circumlocution → say; name → a saying; think; reason.
倔 (10) クツ
屈 (Type 1 Phonetic) bend + 人 person → exert pressure on a subordinate (← bend a person to one's will) → strong-willed; strong. Also, stubborn (← strong-willed).
窟 (13) クツ；コツ；いわや
屈 (Type 1 Phonetic) bend + 穴 hole → bend to enter a cavern or cave.
蔚 (14) ウツ；イ
As per 尉 (Type 1 Phonetic) (thrust downward → exert pressure) + 艸 grass/plant → dense growth of vegetation.
熨 (15) イ；ウツ；の（す）
As per 尉 (Type 1 Phonetic) (thrust downward → exert pressure) + 火 fire → an iron; a press → iron (out wrinkles); smooth out.
厥 (12) ケツ；クツ；そ（の・れ）
The lower element (Type 1 Phonetic) combines 欠 bent, open-mouthed figure + 屰 reverse + → vomit up food/drink. 厥 adds 厂 cliff, here a shape indicator suggesting a catapult → launch stones by bending back the arm of the catapult then propelling it forward. 厥 was eventually borrowed for use as a personal pronoun, and in Japanese means that.
蕨 (15) ケツ；わらび
As per 厥 (Type 1 Phonetic) (pull back then launch/spring forth) + 艸 grass/plant → bracken; fernbrake (the young buds of which roll back on themselves).
孒 (3) ケツ
Pictograph of a child (compare 子) with its left arm cut off (compare 孑). The compound 子) with its left arm cut off (compare 孑)孒 originally indicated "short" or "lacking," but the same compound (with a different reading) also refers to mosquito larvae.
榾 (14) コツ；ほた
骨 (Type 1 Phonetic) (freely moving) bone + 木 tree/wood → piece/chip of wood (resembling a piece of bone).
抉 (7) ケツ；エツ；えぐ（る）；ゆがけ Alternate Form 刔
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 手 hand/action indicator → scoop/gouge/hollow out; bore. Also, archery glove.
獗 (15) ケツ
As per 厥 (Type 1 Phonetic) (pull back, then launch/spring forth) + 犬 dog/beast → storm about (← animal that circles its prey; compare 獪 and 猾) → fly into a rage.
蹶 (19) ケツ；ケイ；たお（す）；つまず（く）
As per 厥 (Type 1 Phonetic) (pull back, then launch/spring forth) + 足 leg/foot → place the tip of the foot in a depression and leap up (the same idea as in 越) → stumble; trip (← stumble/trip when the foot hits a depression in the earth) → fall → fell (an enemy/opponent); kill.
簣 (18) キ；あじか；もっこ
As per 貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (compress a bundle → reduce) + 竹 bamboo → round, bamboo basket used to carry compacted soil.
饋 (21) キ；おく（る）
貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (bundle of) valuable goods + 食 food/eating → send a present (originally, of food; later, with more general applications) → a sent present; tall pile of food/gifts; a meal.
薈 (16) ワイ；カイ
As per 會 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 会 (gather into a unit) + 艸 grass/plant → luxuriant vegetation rolled back on itself (compare 蕨); abundant (gathering).
崛 (11) クツ
屈 (Type 1 Phonetic) bend + 山 mountain → bend to enter a mountainous cavern (compare 窟) → high, rocky mountain (with such a cavern).
恤 (9) ジュツ；シュツ；あわ（れむ）；うれ（える）
血 (Type 1 Phonetic) blood + 心 heart/emotions → show consideration for (be anxious about) the plight of another (← concern for another running through one like the network of blood vessels in a body transport blood; compare 洫) → materially relieve one in distress.
枴 (9) カイ
叧 (Type 2 Phonetic) (variant of 冎 bone fit into a joint) + 木 tree/wood → cane; walking stick (used by an elderly person with a bent back).
譎 (19) ケツ；いつわ（る）
As per 矞 (Type 3 Phonetic) (round hole → round) + 言 words → use circumlocution to deceive, to mislead, or to conceal (one's intentions) → entrap. Also, strange and dubious.
嗢 (13) オチ；オツ
As per the previous form of the right-hand element (Type 2 Phonetic) of 温 (curved lid) + 口 mouth → constrict the mouth in choking (compare the idea of impeded speech in 詘). Also, laugh heartily (← resemblance between the sound of choking and of unrestrained laughter).
樾 (16) エツ
越 (Type 1 Phonetic) go over/beyond; exceed + 木 tree/wood → line of trees overhanging a road → shade provided by trees.
噲 (16) カイ；ケ
As per 會 (Type 1 Phonetic) the previous form of 会 (gather into a unit) + 口 mouth → lump of food that is gulped/swallowed → swallow; gulp; eat → throat (down which food is swallowed).
繢 (18) カイ；エ
As per 貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (compress a bundle → reduce) + 糸 thread → compress a bundle of colored threads in embroidery (compare 繡) → draw/sketch (then color) → paint.
聵 (18) カイ；ガイ；ゲ
As per 貴 (Type 1 Phonetic) (compress a bundle → reduce) + 耳 ear → deaf (← aural capacity reduced to nothing).
栝 (10) カツ；ためぎ；びゃくしん
As per 舌 (Type 1 Phonetic) as described in 活 (round opening cut into a container) + 木 tree/wood → constrictive wood frame placed about a bending tree or other curved object in order to straighten it.
适 (10) カツ；カチ
舌 here an abbreviated form (Type 8 Phonetic) of 活 activity + 辵 movement → active (not sluggish) movement → fast; quick.
嘒 (14) ケイ
As per 彗 (Type 1 Phonetic) (broom/brush made of thin ears of grain and bamboo branches → thin) + 口 mouth → quiet (← thin) voice → soft/quiet voice.
蕙 (15) ケイ；かおりぐさ
As per 惠 the previous form of 恵 (Type 1 Phonetic) (press upon) + 艸 grass/plant → plant/herb that yields a fragrant aroma (compare 鬱) when pressed → fragrant plant/herb → fragrant orchid.
蟪 (18) ケイ
As per 惠 the previous form of 恵 (Type 1 Phonetic) (press upon) + 虫 insect → cicada (← insect that uses a pressing motion to produce its characteristic song). Compare 蜺.
玦 (8) ケツ
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 玉 jewel → jewel in the shape of a reverse C, which was attached to a waistband. Leather archery glove is a borrowed meaning.
觖 (11) ケツ；キ
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 角 horn → damaged horn (← chipped/nicked, creating a hole) → damaged → be dissatisfied (← unsatisfactory condition) → wish for (← wish for a solution to a situation that dissatisfies one).
潏 (15) ケツ；イツ
As per 矞 (Type 3 Phonetic) (round hole) + 水 water → water gushing from a round spring (compare 泉).
刖 (6) ゲツ；あしき（る）
As per 月 (Type 1 Phonetic) (present a scooped-out appearance) + 刀 sword/knife → amputation of feet/legs in punishment.
軏 (10) ゲツ；ゴチ；ゴツ
兀 (Type 1 Phonetic) thrust the head high + 車 vehicle → the upward curving shafts of a vehicle. Also, the linchpin that crosses the shafts (compare 輗).
搰 (13) コツ
As per 骨 (Type 1 Phonetic) (bone that moves in a complete circle) + 手 hand/action indicator → dig a round hole → disturb (← alter a situation ← dig a hole).
杌 (7) ゴツ；ゲツ
兀 (Type 1 Phonetic) thrust the head high + 木 tree/wood → branchless tree with a crown of leaves at the top → stump (← branchless remains of a felled tree).
卹 (8) シュツ；ジュツ；あわ（れむ）；うれ（える）
血 (Type 8 Phonetic) here an abbreviated form of 恤 show consideration for the plight of another + 卩 bending figure/person (→ posture of an afflicted person) → comfort or commiserate with one in distress.
槥 (15) セイ；エイ；ひつぎ
As per 彗 (Type 1 Phonetic) (broom/brush made of thin ears of grain and bamboo branches → thin) + 木 tree/wood → small and thin wooden coffin (compare 柩 and 棺).
濊 (16) ワイ；カツ
As per 歳 (Type 1 Phonetic) (harvest rice by scooping it from the ears of the plant with a sickle-like implement) + 水 water → vast/expansive flow of water that washes away (= removes) objects just as a sickle does to vegetation → dirty; filthy (← detritus left by water; compare 穢). For the idea of a destructive overflow of water, compare 潰.
鴃 (15) ゲキ；ケキ；ケツ；もず
As per 夬 (Type 1 Phonetic) (scoop out) + 鳥 bird → shrike (← bird with a scoop-shaped bill). Compare 鶪. Some sources present 鴂, which repositions the elements in 鴃, as alternate form of 鴃. Other sources, however, present 鴂 as an independent character referring to a variety of cuckoo.
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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- = Flexible: 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 flexible 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 (Flexible + Encompass/Conceal) has 荏 "beans," that is, beans covered and hidden by a flexible 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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