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101
L3
丸
3
GAN, maru, marui
round, circle, ball,
ship-mark
strokes
GAN’YAKUpill
marumiroundness
NIPPON-maru‘HMS’ Nippon
A late graph (Shuowen); seal script form is .
Interpretations differ. There is general agreement
that the enclosed element in seal script is
41 ‘person’. (in mirrored form) is taken as
102
岩
GAN, iwa
rock, crag
L3
8 strokes
GANSEKIrock
iwayacave
KASEIGANigneous rock
103
顔
GAN, kao
face
L4
18 strokes
GANMENface
kaoirocomplexion
kaotsukicountenance
Bronze consists of a head () exaggerated,
and (NJK; male name; etymology disputed).
phonetic with associated meaning ‘roll over and
over’ (Katō) or ‘round’ (Yamada). Tōdō includes
the underlying word in a word-family meaning
‘round; surround’, and takes as semantic
(see ‘cliff’ 47, being based on pictograph for the
same) as well as phonetic, to give ‘person rolling
themselves into ball shape at foot of cliff, to
hide’. KJ1970:336-7; YK1976:107-8; TA1965:611-
19. We suggest 13 ‘nine’, plus extra stroke to
‘round off’.
Mnemonic: NINE IS ROUNDED OFF WITH AN
EXTRA STROKE
A late graph (post-Shuowen). Has 26 ‘mountain’
and 47 ‘stone, rock’. Tōdō includes it
in a word-family meaning ‘angular and hard’.
YK1976:108; TA1965:866-8.
Mnemonic: STONY MOUNTAIN IS ALL ROCK
Katō sees here as phonetic with associated
sense ‘forehead’, and itself originally meaning
‘forehead’. Shirakawa sees as depicting
tattooing of forehead as marking adulthood.
‘Face’ shows minor semantic shift. KJ1970:222;
SS1984:137-8,269.
Mnemonic: ONLY THREE HAIRS LEFT
STANDING ON HEAD: GLUM FACE
104
L1
汽
KI
steam, vapor
7 strokes
KISHAsteam train
KISENsteamship
KITEKIsteam whistle
Relatively late origin (Shuowen). ‘Water’ 42,
and ‘vapor, steam’ (see 12) which also serves
as phonetic. KJ1970:230; GY2008:498.
Mnemonic: STEAM COMPRISES WATERY
VAPORS
105
記
KI
Relatively late (Shuowen). Has 118 ‘words’
chronicle
and 866 (‘self’, originally ‘twisted thread’)
L3
10 strokes
with associated sense taken as i] ‘record’, thus
‘record words’ (Katō, Yamada), or ii] ‘something
KISHAreporter
twisted is straightened’, thus ‘put confused matters
KIJIarticle
in order’ (Tōdō). TA1965:127-8; KJ1970:233-
NIKKIdiary
4; YK1976:113-4.
Mnemonic: A WORDY CHRONICLE WITH A
TWIST IN IT
The 160 Second Grade Characters 71