480531170

10
L3
貝
kai
shell, shellfish
7 strokes
hotategai scallop
kaigara seashell
kaiRUIshellfish
OBI forms indicate that this is based on the
pictograph of a bivalve shell . In ancient
times, shells were used as currency in China,
and so as a component in more complex
characters often serves a semantic role to
indicate wealth, e.g. 712 ‘wealth, assets’.
MR2007:347; KJ1970:759-60. Suggest remembering
by using 76 ‘eye’.
Mnemonic: SHELLFISH LOOKS LIKE AN EYE
WITH FEELERS
11
L5
学
GAKU, manabu
learning
8 strokes
GAKKŌ school
KAGAKU chemistry
GAKUSHA scholar
OBI forms , ; traditional (Kangxi) form .
It has four elements, which on the basis of OBI
and bronze forms Shirakawa takes as
, signifying crossbeams, roof, right and left
hands/help, and child respectively. The earliest
forms (OBI) all omit the last of these elements,
but the basic meaning represented appears to
be a building whose purpose was to help people
in some way. Later forms are then more specific,
referring to children (see 27). SS1984:110;
KJ1970:171-2; MM1993:102. We suggest using
‘child’ 27.
Mnemonic: CHILD LEARNS UNDER ORNATE
ROOF
12
L5
気
KI, KE
spirit
6 strokes
KIBUN mood
TENKI weather
DENKI electricity
OBI ; seal ; traditional . According to
Qiu, the traditional form was used from the
Han dynasty onwards for ‘vapor’, but this was
in fact a loan use, as is in origin a separate
graph devised to write another word (a nearhomophone
of in early Chinese) meaning
‘give rice (or other food) as a gift’. Based on the
above, the block script equivalent of the OBI
form for should be , not . The more
familiar shape is probably based on a cursive
form of ; is standard in modern PRC usage.
See also 1346 ‘ask for, beg’. QX2000:330;
MS1995:v2:726-8; KJ1970:247,230; OT1968:552;
FC1974:v1:1245-7.
Mnemonic: SPIRIT-LIKE VAPORS OVER A CROSS
13
L5
九
KYŪ, KU, kokononine
2 strokes
JŪKYŪ nineteen
kokonoka ninth day
KUGATSU September
Etymology unclear. One earlier form is . On
the basis of the corresponding ancient forms,
assessed variously as representing the shapes
of dragons (Shirakawa), or as the shape of an
elbow used when counting with one arm (Katō),
or as a loaned character (Qiu, Schuessler).
SS1984:170; TS2010:25; KJ1970:49; QX2000:32;
AS2007:320. We suggest remembering it as a
hook indicating the removal of one from ‘ten’
35.
Mnemonic: SOMETHING HOOKED AWAY
FROM TEN LEAVES NINE
50 The 80 First Grade Characters