OBI forms show pieces of precious stone (probably jade discs) strung together on a cord . Though the shape of this graph stood in contrast to 王 5 ‘king, ruler’ at the OBI stage, the shapes of the two became less distinctive in bronze, and in the seal forms they were virtually indistinguishable. In clerical script, 玉 was commonly written with a dot, no doubt to help distinguish it from 王. Note, though, that as a determinative in compound graphs (e.g. 現 692 ‘appear’), the dot in 玉 is omitted in the majority of cases. The meaning ‘ball’ for 玉 is Japanese-only usage. KJ1970:283,933; MS1995:v2:850-63; MR2007:218; SK1984:490-91.
Mnemonic: STRING OF BALL-LIKE JEWELS FIT FOR A KING
16
L5
金
KIN, KON, kane
gold, metal, money
8 strokes
金曜日 KIN’YŌbi Friday
金色 KONJIKI gold color
金持ち kanemochi rich person
Variations in shape in the earliest occurrences namely bronze inscriptions, have led to different interpretations. Shirakawa takes the small dots or dashes as representing lumps of cast metal (bronze). Another view additionally treats the main part of the graph as depicting an arrow at the top and an ax lower down (Wen). Different again is a view (Katō) which breaks the graph down into two semantic elements: 土 64 ‘earth’, together with dots to represent something in the earth, and then an abbreviated form of 今 138 (‘top/cover’) as a phonetic indicator. At an early stage in China, often used in the sense of ‘bronze’, then sometimes ‘gold’, and by extension metals in general. SS1984:208; KJ1970:955-6; WL2010:410. We suggest remembering by using 王 5 ‘king’.
Mnemonic: KING KEEPS TWO GOLD NUGGETS UNDER COVER
17
L5
空
KŪ, sora, kara
sky, empty
8 strokes
空気 KŪKI air
空色 sorairo sky-blue
空箱 karabako empty box
Bronze . The top five strokes (of the modern form) depict the entrance to a hollowed-out pit, or cave 穴 860, i.e., something empty; subsequently extended to mean ‘sky’. The lower element 工 125 (‘work, tool’) serves as a phonetic, with an associated sense of ‘hole’. References: SS1984:220; KJ1970:401; MS1995:v2:974-5. We suggest remembering by using 工 in its meaning of ‘work’.
Mnemonic: WORK TO OPEN THE ROOF TO SEE THE EMPTY SKY
18
L5
月
GETSU, GATSU, tsuki
moon, month
4 strokes
今月 KONGETSU this month
月曜日 GETSUYŌ bi Monday
月見 tsukimi moon viewing
Originally depicting crescent moon with pitted surface , later undergoing a cumulative process of stylization As a determinative, 月. Note that the determinative for 肉 209 ‘meat/flesh’ is of the same shape 月 in compound graphs. SS1984:252; KJ1970:953.
Mnemonic: CRESCENT MOON IS PITTED AND FACES DOWN
19
L4
犬
KEN, inu
dog
4 strokes
猟犬 RYŌKEN hunting-dog
犬小屋 inugoya kennel
子犬 koinu puppy
Based on pictograph of a dog rearing up . Occurs also in the form犭 as a left-hand determinative, sometimes in characters for other animals. References: QX2000:65-67; SS1984:254. We suggest remembering it by taking it as 大 56 ‘big’ plus a spot.
Mnemonic: DOG IS BIG WITH A SPOT
20
L5
見
KEN, miru/seru/eru
look, see, show
7 strokes
発見 HAKKEN discovery
見物 KENBUTSU sightseeing
見物 mimono spectacle, sight
OBI forms such as show the graph for an exaggerated eye 目 76 on top of a variant form for ‘person’ 儿 41, originally bending but sometimes just ‘legs’. SS1984:255; QX2000:194. Take 儿 as a bending figure.
PERSON RESTS AGAINST TREE
