OBI forms , ; seal . Lower element, which in OBI has 人 ‘person’ or 卩 ‘kneeling person’ (see 41), changes to another determinative (no.10) for ‘person’, viz. 儿 (see also 41) in seal form. Analyses vary. In one view, shows child with big head (taking 口 as standing for ‘head’). In another view, 口 22 ‘mouth; speak’, and 儿 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
L3
形
KEI, GYŌ, kata(chi)
shape, form
7 strokes
形式的 KEISHIKITEKI formal
人形 NINGYŌ doll
形見 katami keepsake
Seal forms , . Relatively late origin (Shuowen). Interpretations vary. Has 彡 ‘color, brush pattern’ (etc.) (determinative no. 59), and left-hand element identical with or close in shape to 井 1575 ‘well’. In one view, taken as consisting of 彡 meaning ‘writing brush hairs’, and 开 as phonetic with associated sense ‘imitate, model after’, giving ‘model, copy’ (Katō). Another analysis treats as 彡 ‘pattern’, and 开/井 as semantic and phonetic meaning ‘square frame’, giving ‘mold (to make copies)’ (Tōdō). Shirakawa also sees 开/井 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
L4
計
KEI, hakaru
measure
9 strokes
合計 GŌKEI sum total
計算 KEISAN calculation
速度計 SOKUDOKEI speedometer
Of quite late origin (Shuowen) . Varied interpretations. The modern form comprises the determinative 言 118 ‘words/say’ and 十 35 ‘ten’. In OBI and bronze texts, a symbol close in shape to 十 represented the word for ‘seven’, not ‘ten’, but by the time of the Shuowen dictionary of around 100AD we find 十 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 (卜, see 96), speculating it was misinterpreted as 十. OT1968:920; QX2000:18, 31, 32; SS1984:230.
Mnemonic: COUNTING IN TENS MAKES IT EASY TO MEASURE
117
L4
元
GEN, GAN, moto
origin, source
4 strokes
元気 GENKI health, vigor
元来 GANRAI originally
元通り motodōri as before
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 儿 for ‘person’ (see 41). MR2007:209; SS1984:267-8; QX2000:182; YK1976:146. Use 二 65 ‘two’.
Mnemonic: TWO BENT PERSONS OF SAME ORIGIN
118
L5
言
GEN, GON, koto, iu
word, say, speak
7 strokes
発言 HATSUGEN statement
無言 MUGON silence
言葉 kotoba word
Typical OBI form . Interpretations vary. Some commentators (Karlgren, Ma) take this to be based on a pictograph of a flute, and treat ‘words, speak’ as a loan usage. Others differ, typically taking it as 口 22 ‘mouth’ with a phonetic element (interpretations of which vary), but Shirakawa takes it as a tattooing needle for oath-taking with receptacle for the written oath. BK1957:80; MR2007:256; KJ1970:386-7; YK1976:162; SS1984:268-9.
Mnemonic: MOUTH SPEAKS THREE AND A BIT WORDS
119
L3
原
GEN, hara
plain, origin
10 strokes
原子 GENSHI atom
原文 GENBUN original text
草原 kusahara grassy plain
There is agreement that the bronze forms depict a spring gushing out from the foot of a cliff, and is thus the early version for the word later represented by 源 864. This led to an extended meaning of ‘source/origin’. The graph acquired the meaning
