480531170

114
L4
兄
KEI, KYŌ, ani
elder brother
5 strokes
FUKEIguardians
KYŌDAIbrothers
niisan*elder brother
OBI forms , ; seal . Lower element,
which in OBI has ‘person’ or ‘kneeling person’
(see 41), changes to another determinative
(no.10) for ‘person’, viz. (see also 41) in seal
form. Analyses vary. In one view, shows child
with big head (taking as standing for ‘head’).
In another view, 22 ‘mouth; speak’, and
as phonetic with associated sense ‘big’, giving
‘loud/big voice’, and by extension ‘big’ > ‘big/
elder brother’ (both views noted in Mizukami).
Alternatively some scholars take as ‘person who
utters incantations/prayers’ (Ma, Shirakawa).
KJ1970:348-9; MR2007:397; SS1984:226;
MS1995:v1:90-91.
Mnemonic: ELDER BROTHER IS JUST MOUTH
AND LEGS
115
形
KEI, GYŌ, kata(chi)
shape, form
L3
7 strokes
KEISHIKITEKIformal
NINGYŌdoll
katamikeepsake
Seal forms , . Relatively late origin
(Shuowen). Interpretations vary. Has ‘color,
brush pattern’ (etc.) (determinative no. 59),
and left-hand element identical with or close
in shape to 1575 ‘well’. In one view, taken as
consisting of meaning ‘writing brush hairs’,
and 开 as phonetic with associated sense ‘imitate,
model after’, giving ‘model, copy’ (Katō).
Another analysis treats as ‘pattern’, and 开 /
as semantic and phonetic meaning ‘square
frame’, giving ‘mold (to make copies)’ (Tōdō).
Shirakawa also sees 开 / as representing
a frame or mold. TA1965:501-3; SS1984:227;
KJ1970:359; KJ1985:214.
Mnemonic: THREE STROKES NEXT TO A GRID
FORM IS A DISTINCTIVE SHAPE
116
計
KEI, hakaru
measure
L4
9 strokes
GŌKEIsum total
KEISANcalculation
SOKUDOKEIspeedometer
Of quite late origin (Shuowen) . Varied interpretations.
The modern form comprises the
determinative 118 ‘words/say’ and 35 ‘ten’.
In OBI and bronze texts, a symbol close in shape
to represented the word for ‘seven’, not ‘ten’,
but by the time of the Shuowen dictionary of
around 100AD we find being used for ‘ten’.
Ogawa takes ‘words’ together with the number
‘ten’ as combining to give meanings such as
‘count, calculate, plan’. Qiu prefers to regard
it simply as an abstract geometric symbol.
Shirakawa is alone in looking to interpret the
right-hand element of this graph as originally
having links to the ancient Chinese practice
of divination (, see 96), speculating it was
misinterpreted as . OT1968:920; QX2000:18,
31, 32; SS1984:230.
Mnemonic: COUNTING IN TENS MAKES IT
EASY TO MEASURE
117
元
GEN, GAN, moto
origin, source
L4
4 strokes
GENKIhealth, vigor
GANRAIoriginally
motodōrias before
74 The 160 Second Grade Characters
OBI and bronze forms depict side view of a
person with exaggeratedly large head , to
convey meanings such as ‘head’ and ‘beginning’.
The modern form uses for ‘person’ (see
41). MR2007:209; SS1984:267-8; QX2000:182;
YK1976:146. Use 65 ‘two’.
Mnemonic: TWO BENT PERSONS OF SAME
ORIGIN