The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji_ (JLPT All Levels) Remembering and Understanding the 2136 Standard Characters

企1170 KI, kuwadateru here still has this meaning of standing on
L1 plan, undertake tiptoe in Chinese). In support of this analysis,
it seems significant that while the majority of
6 strokes the OBI occurrences listed by Mizukami have
the foot orientated horizontally, several forms
KIGYŌ (an) enterprise show the foot slightly raised. Also,Tōdō rejects
KIKAKU plan the view of serving as phonetic here on
kuwadate plot, scheme the basis of dissimilar pronunciation in early
Chinese relative to . ‘Try, attempt’ is perhaps
OBI ; seal . Has ‘person’ (a variant of an extended sense, given that standing on
41) standing upright, and 143 (now tiptoe successfully for more than a few mo-
ments involves effort and is quite difficult for
meaning ‘stop’ but originally depiction of most people; ‘plan, undertake’ may be loan
person’s foot or footprint;) (all best repre- usages. KJ1970:243; OT1968:49; QX2000:196
sented in the OBI form). here is taken TA1965:497; SS1984:139. We suggest taking
in one view as phonetic with associated as person, which it is, and in its modern
sense ‘stand precariously’, giving ‘unstable sense of ‘stop’.
position on tiptoes’ (Katō). More typically,
though, is taken in its original sense of Mnemonic: PERSON STOPS AND
‘foot’, representing someone standing with
the heels raised, i.e. on tiptoes (Ogawa, Tōdō, UNDERTAKES TO MAKE A PLAN
Shirakawa) (the graph under discussion

伎1171 KI, GI Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 per-
L1 skill, act, deed son’, and (717 ‘branch, support’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘deed, skill’, giving overall
6 strokes sense ‘person who has skills/performs’, and
hence ‘actor’ (Ogawa, Tōdō ); Tōdō regards origi-
KABUKI kabuki nal sense as ‘person who knows handicrafts’.
GINŌ talent, skill This graph 1171 is often interchangeable
GIGAKU ancient mask show with 673, also meaning ‘skill’, but not in the
case of ‘kabuki’. TA1965:493-5; OT1968:49.

Mnemonic: PERSON HOLDS CROSS

IN HAND – A SKILLED ACT

岐1172 KI Zhou capital [Katō; Ogawa acknowledges this
L1 fork meaning also]), or – a similar but less spe-
cific interpretation – ii] ‘be separated’, giving
7 strokes ‘forked road’ (Ogawa, Tōdō) (perhaps a gener-
alized sense deriving from ‘forked mountain
KIRO forked road road’). For the sense ‘forked road’, there also
BUNKI divergence exists the graph 歧, with determinative 143
TAKI many directions (originally, ‘foot, footprint’, but can indicate
motion as well as its modern sense ‘stop’).
A late (post-Shuowen) graph. Has 26 KJ1970:243; OT1968:302; TA1965:495.
‘mountain’, and 717 (‘branch, support’) as
phonetic with associated sense taken as i] Mnemonic: MOUNTAIN PATHS HAVE FORKS,
‘twin peaks’, giving ‘mountain with twin peaks’
(specifically, ‘Twin Peaks Mountain’ in Shanxi LIKE BRANCHES
Province, close to the site of the ancient

350 The Remaining 1130 Characters

忌1173 KI, imu/mi/mawashii Bronze ; seal . Has 164 ‘heart, mind’,
L1 mourn, abhor, odious, and 866 (‘I, self’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense ‘avoid in one’s heart out of loath-
detest ing, firmly resist’, giving ‘avoid out of loathing;
abhor, detest; odious; taboo’. Taboos are often
7 strokes associated with mourning and this is prob-
ably an extended meaning. MS1995:v1:496-7;
KICHŪ in mourning KJ1970:234; AS2007:234.
KINKI taboo
imikirau detest Mnemonic: IN MY HEART, I DETEST MYSELF

奇1174 KI Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 56 ‘big’
L1 strange, odd (originally, pictograph of person standing),
and 655 (‘can; approve’) as phonetic with
8 strokes associated sense ‘bent’, and hence ‘person with
bent leg, lame’; by extension (Gu): ‘not normal,
KISŪ odd number strange’. OT1968:246; TA1965:582; GY2008:58.
SHINKI novelty
KIKEI deformity Mnemonic: SOMETHING BIG AND BENT CAN
BE ODD
祈1175 KI, inoru/ri
L2 pray, prayer, wish netic with associated sense ‘curved handle/
pole’). The above treatment finds support
8 strokes in Schuessler, who lists the early Chinese
equivalents for ‘pray for’ and ‘banner with
KINEN prayer dragon design and bells’ as two separate but
KIGAN supplication homophonous words. Then, at the seal stage,
inoriau pray together the direct predecessor of gained orthodox
status with its inclusion and promotion in
OBI ; bronze ; seal . A graph with Shuowen. consists of / 723 (originally,
what appears to be a convoluted evolution. ‘offering table, altar’; now ‘show’), with
Several commentators (Mizukami, Ma) trace 1233 (‘ax’) as phonetic with associated sense
its origin back to the OBI stage, which they ‘request, seek’, giving ‘seek (good fortune) from
interpret as ‘flag/banner with dragon design the gods’. MS1995:v2:940-41; MR2007:216;
and bells attached’; ‘seek good fortune from KJ1970:101,246-7; OT1968:719; AS2007:420.
the gods, pray’ (originally, in time of war) is We suggest taking the modern form as ‘altar’
considered to be an early loan usage. In similar and ‘ax’.
vein, the bronze form is taken to represent a
flag or banner mounted on a curved handle Mnemonic: TAKE AN AX TO THE ALTAR FOR
or pole ( [traditional form of 569 q.v., also PRAYER!?
initially a weapon] here is regarded as pho-
either analysis giving ‘concave/curved tracks
軌1176 KI made in the ground by carts’, i.e. ‘wheel tracks’.
L1 track, way, rut Note: with regard to the English expres-
sion ‘going off-track’, this is usually applied
9 strokes to moving away from a central theme in a
speech or similar, i.e. digressing, but in the
KIDŌ track, orbit case of ‘going off track’ in Japanese, there is a
MUKIDŌ no wayward greater waywardness, such as erratic behavior.
JŌKI normal course MS1995:v2:1266-7; KJ1970:244; OT1968:980.

Bronze ; seal . Has 33 ‘vehicle’, and Mnemonic: TRACK RUTTED AFTER NINE
13 (‘nine’) as phonetic with associated sense VEHICLES PASS
taken as i] ‘intervening gap’ (between wheels
of a cart/carriage) (Katō) or ii] ‘be curved/bent’ The Remaining 1130 Characters 351
(Ogawa) (both senses listed by Mizukami), in

既1177 KI, sude (ni) takes meaning (OBI stage onwards) as ‘to
L1 already, finished complete, have done’ as a marker of complet-
ed action; which would mean ‘already’ is an
10 strokes extended sense. The shape is found in the
calligraphic tradition (which often features
KISEI ready-made such variants) from Sui dynasty (581-618) on-
KIKONSHA married person wards. QX2000:195; OT1968:458; KJ1970:183;
KITEI no established AS2007:298; MS1995:v1:604-6.; FC1976:1022-
4. Take left-side as unlidded food 163 and
OBI ; seal ; traditional forms , . Has right-side as long legged man.
CO ‘food vessel piled with food’ and ,
CO graph taken as originally meaning either Mnemonic: LONG LEGGED MAN HAS
‘choke after eating’ or ‘eat one’s fill’, as se-
mantic and phonetic, thus ‘finish eating’ (Qiu, ALREADY FINISHED UNLIDDED FOOD
Ogawa) or ‘eat one’s fill’ (Katō). Schuessler

飢1178 KI, ueru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 163 ‘eat’,
L1 starve, hunger and 845 (NJK; originally ‘table, stand’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘sparse, defi-
10 strokes cient’, thus ‘food is sparse’, and hence ‘be hun-
gry’. DJ2009:v2:425; OT1968:107; TA1965:695-8.
KIGA hunger, starvation
uejini death by starvation Mnemonic: FOOD ON THE TABLE, BUT STILL
KIKIN famine
STARVING

鬼1179 KI, oni OBI ; seal . The OBI forms commonly
L1 devil, demon, ghost depict a kneeling figure wearing a large mask;
the graph is taken to represent the spirit of a
10 strokes deceased person. The element was added
later at the seal stage; its function is not entirely
KIKAI realm of the dead clear, but one suggestion is that it was added as
onibaba hag, witch a phonetic (Katō). OT1968:1139; KJ1970:230-32;
onigokko tag (the game) MS1995:v2:1486-8. Suggest taking the graph as
a whole as a deviation from ‘think’ 147.

Mnemonic: DISTORTED THINKING LEADS TO

DEVILISH THOUGHTS

亀1180 KI, kame OBI ; seal ; traditional . Originally,
L1 turtle, tortoise pictograph of a turtle or tortoise seen from
above or from the side; from the seal stage
11 strokes onwards, the side view predominated as the
basis for this graph. In broad terms, the modern
KITŌ penis simplified form may be said to retain the basic
KIRETSU crack, fissure profile of the seal version. MS1995:v2:1530-31;
umigame sea turtle MR2007:492; OT1968:1175. We suggest taking
the pictograph in its whole modern form as a
mnemonic.

Mnemonic: TURTLE HAS TWO SQUARE

SHELLS WITH CRACKS, HEAD AND TAIL

352 The Remaining 1130 Characters

幾1181 KI, iku- ‘loom treadle’, again taken as the original
L1 how many/much, way of writing 476 ‘loom’ (Katō). Alter-
natively, Tōdō interprets not as semantic
some, several but phonetic in function here, denoting ‘fine,
detailed, small’ (based on the extended sense
12 strokes ‘small’ of the determinative ‘part of thread’,
deriving from it being just the top part of
ikuNIN how many people 29 ‘thread’, i.e.’short thread’), combining with
KIKAGAKU geometry
ikura how(/ever) much 545 ‘halberd’ and 41 ‘person’, giving ‘hal-
berd blade almost reaches neck of enemy’ (i.e.
Bronze ; seal . Interpretations vary. In almost kills enemy). Meanings such as ‘how
one view, has 29 (‘short threads’) as an much, how many’ are loan usages, reflecting
abbreviation of ‘loom treadle’ (Ogawa), and the common device of borrowing a graph
originally representing a word for a concrete
(NJK; ‘protect with weapon/halberd’: see object for another of abstract meaning but
545/476)’ as phonetic with associated sense having the same or similar pronunciation.
not specified by Ogawa (presumably ‘stop, OT1968:325; KJ1970:144-5; TA1965:695-7.
prevent’), giving ‘loom treadle’; original way
of writing in its first sense, i.e. ‘loom’ 476. Mnemonic: HOW MANY SHORT THREADS
In another analysis, with taken as ‘cord
attached to loom treadle’, with as phonetic CAN A HALBERD TRIM?
with associated sense ‘firmly stop’, giving

棋1182 KI phonetic with associated sense typically tak-
L1 (oriental) chess en as ‘square’, giving ‘square piece of wood’,
hence ‘(Oriental) chess/checkers board’, and
12 strokes by extension ‘game board pieces’. Katō, by
contrast, takes ‘small’ as the associated pho-
SHŌGI Japanese chess netic sense of , giving ‘game board pieces’
KISHI shōgi/go player as the direct (not extended) meaning. See
KITEKI chess opponent also 1314. DJ2009:v2:482; TA1965:124-6;
OT1968:510; SS1984:148; KJ1970:239.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Originally
written (same components, just differently Mnemonic: MAKE WOODEN CHESS PIECES
arranged). Has 73 ‘wood, tree’, with 269
(NJK, originally, pictograph of winnowing OUT OF WINNOWING BASKET!?
basket; later borrowed for ‘that’ [pronoun]) as

棄1183 KI, suteru newly born), winnowing basket (Qiu says
L1 abandon, discard, winnowing basket or dustpan), and a pair of
hands. This is taken to mean ‘abandon a baby’,
renounce and sense then generalized to ‘abandon, throw
away’. As often the case, the elements of the
13 strokes OBI graph have undergone extensive styliza-
tion by the block script stage. MR2007:297;
HŌKI abandonment QX2000:190; GY2008:485. Suggest take whole
KIKEN abstention graph as like 428 ‘leaf’.
suteba dumping ground
Mnemonic: ABANDON CHILD, TOSSING AWAY
OBI ; seal . OBI form gives a good indica-
tion of the original meaning. It has elements LIKE ODD LEAF
for 27 ‘baby’ (inverted in seal form to show

The Remaining 1130 Characters 353

毀1184 KI, kowasu/reru Bronze ; seal . Views vary. Gu takes 㙯 as
L1 break, damage, ‘person atop mound of earth’, with abbreviated
form of CO 毇 ‘pound rice’, thus ‘destroy’. Ogawa
destruction agrees, but instead of 㙯 he posits 64 ‘earth,
ground’, giving ‘break down clods of earth’,
13 strokes and by extension ‘destroy’. Shirakawa differs,
proposing an etymology possibly related to
KISON damage, injury human sacrifice. SS1984:150; GY2008:1618;
KIKI destruction OT1968:222. Take 170 ‘strike’, as hands,
kowaremono fragile item as ‘sloping ground’ 64.

畿1185 KI Mnemonic: STRIKING WITH HANDS ON
L1 capital (place) SLOPING GROUND IS DESTRUCTIVE

15 strokes Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 63 ‘field’
(here in more general sense ‘land, territory’),
KINAI Kyōto area and 1181 (‘how much, how many’) as
KINKI Ōsaka-Kyōto phonetic with associated sense ‘near, almost’,
(no further compounds) giving original meaning ‘territory close to the
capital (under direct control of the Emperor)’;
輝1186 KI, kagayaku/kashii later, ‘the capital and environs’. DJ2009:v3:1130;
L1 shine, sparkle TA1965:695-7; QX2000:235; OT1968:674.

15 strokes Mnemonic: HOW MANY FIELDS ARE THERE IN
THE CAPITAL AREA?
KŌKI luster, splendor
KISEKI pyroxene Seal . The seal form in Shuowen has 8 ‘fire’
kagayaki light as determinative, and the entry in that diction-
ary defines the graph simply as ‘light’ ( 129).
騎1187 KI The alternative form is analyzed as ,
L1 rider with 490 (‘army, military’) as phonetic with
associated sense ‘surround’, giving ‘light sur-
18 strokes rounds’. came into use in Han times, then
became predominant. SS1984:155; OT1968:985;
KISHI knight, rider TA1965:712-21.
KIHEI cavalry
IKKIuchi single combat Mnemonic: ARMY PROVIDES SHINING LIGHT

Seal . Has 210 ‘horse’, and 1174
(‘strange’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘put on top, go up high’, giving ‘mount a
horse’. Mizukami lists a proposed bronze
equivalent. TA1965:583-6; OT1968:1127;
MS1995:v2:1470-71.

Mnemonic: RIDER ON STRANGE HORSE IS A
KNIGHT

354 The Remaining 1130 Characters

宜1188 GI, yoroshii ment doubled, showing ‘meat’ ( 209), thus
L1 proper, good ‘meat offering’. The outer contour could perhaps
be taken to represent cover or roof, and this
8 strokes might explain the seal form, which shows 30
‘roof, building’. Meanings such as ‘proper, proper
TEKIGI suitability conduct; good’ may be taken as extended
BENGI convenience senses deriving from what was regarded as
yoroshiku best regards proper conduct in offering meat to the deities.
MS1995:v1:362-3; KJ1970:257; OT1968:274;
OBI ; seal . In a short entry (宐), Kangxi zidian TA1965:592; DJ2009:v1:236. Suggest taking as
notes 宐 as the original way of writing , but 1135 ‘cairn, furthermore’.
otherwise uses the shape , which has long
served as the orthodox form. OBI and bronze Mnemonic: FURTHERMORE, CAIRN HAS A
forms have outer contour taken as outline of a
chopping board, on which there is another ele- GOOD AND PROPER ROOF

偽1189 GI, nise, itsuwaru sense ‘change appearance’, giving ‘someone
L1 false, lie changes appearance/changes into someone
else’ (with negative connotation), and hence
11 strokes ‘deceive; false’. Ogawa – perhaps less con-
vincingly – takes / differently as having
nisemono forgery a semantic role here, giving ‘person does’,
GIZEN hypocrisy and ‘deceit’ as an extended sense. KJ1970:19;
itsuwarimono liar TA1965:607-10; OT1968:73.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional form Mnemonic: A PERSON DOES LIE FOR FALSE
has as right-hand element. Comprises 41
person, and 1017 (‘do; purpose’), the latter PURPOSES
typically taken as phonetic with associated

欺1190 GI, azamuku Seal . Has 496 (‘yawn, lack’), and 269
L1 cheat, deceive (orig winnowing basket) as phonetic, usu-
ally taken with associated sense ‘be weary’,
12 strokes thus ‘very weary, yawn’ (Katō). Mizukami lists
another associated sense for , i.e. ‘coerce
SAGI fraud sternly’, thus ‘coerce with stern expression’.
GIMAN deception ‘Cheat, deceive’ is loan usage. MS1995:v1:698-9;
azamukitoru defraud OT1968:534; KJ1970:240.

Mnemonic: LACKS WINNOWING BASKET SO

RESORT TO CHEATING

儀1191 GI Seal . Has 41 ‘person’, and 674 ‘right-
L1 ceremony, rule eous’, giving ‘person who is careful in conduct
or appearance/person who serves as model to
15 strokes others’; by extension, ‘exemplar, good conduct,
ceremony’. Mizukami also lists some bronze
GISHIKI ceremony forms of as proposed equivalents of .
GITEN rite, ritual KJ1970:142-3; MS1995:v1:82-3; OT1968:81.
REIGI etiquette
Mnemonic: RIGHTEOUS PERSON OBEYS

RULES IN CEREMONIES

The Remaining 1130 Characters 355

戯1192 GI, tawamureru associated sense taken as i] ‘rough, unrefined’,
L1 play, frolic, joke giving ‘roughly-made halberd, for play’ (Katō), or
ii] ‘perform a task’, giving ‘military practice before
15 strokes battle’ (Ogawa). Clearly the ‘play’ meaning has
become prominent, including to frolic and flirt.
YŪGITEKI playful At some point as phonetic has been replaced
GIGA caricature by 1212 ‘hollow, empty’. KJ1970:256-7;
tawagoto* gibberish OT1968:397.

Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Latter has Mnemonic: HOLLOW HALBERD USED IN PLAY
476/545 ‘halberd’, with (CO, ‘type of old

porcelain/pottery vessel’) as phonetic with

擬1193 GI analysis as phonetic with associated senses
L1 imitate, model ‘doubtful’ or ‘resemble’, the latter giving ‘make
something to resemble by hand’, and hence
17 strokes ‘imitate’ (Katō). Another analysis takes as
both semantic and phonetic, again giving the
MOGI imitation overall sense ‘imitate’ (Ogawa). KJ1970:248-9;
GISEI bluff OT1968:432.
GISEI onomatopoeia
Mnemonic: MAKE DOUBTFUL IMITATION BY
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 HAND
‘hand’, and 848 (‘doubt’) taken in one
or more generally ‘animal sacrifice’ for
犠1194 GI (Ogawa, Tōdō, Shirakawa). A divergent view is
L1 sacrifice offered by Katō, who maintains that serves
here as phonetic only, originally with an as-
17 strokes sociated sense ‘young male (ox)’, which for
sacrificial purposes was of a single color, and
GISEI sacrifice ‘single color’ subsequently came to predomi-
GISEISHA victim nate as the new associated sense, giving the
GIDA sacrifice hit (baseball) overall sense ‘young ox of a single color’; in
this interpretation, ‘sacrifice’ is an extended
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 108 sense. SS1984:165; OT1968:639; TA1965:592;
‘cow, ox’, and 674 (later meaning: ‘right- KJ1970:241-2.
eous’), which may be taken as both semantic
and phonetic in function; the original mean- Mnemonic: ONLY A RIGHTEOUS COW CAN BE
ing of , which includes 833 (originally A SACRIFICE
‘halberd’, now ‘I, self’) is ‘animal sacrifice’. This
then leads to an overall sense ‘ox sacrifice’,

菊1195 KIKU ‘having shrivelled leaves’, giving ‘plant with
L1 chrysanthemum shrivelled leaves’ (Katō), or ii] ‘round’, giving
‘plant with round [head/flower]’, i.e. ‘chrysan-
11 strokes themum’ (Ogawa). However, both Katō and
Shirakawa maintain that in ancient times this
noGIKU aster graph did not refer to the chrysanthemum/
KIKKA chrysanthemum an autumn-flowering plant; according to
KIKUBAN small octavo Shirakawa, originally it referred instead to a
different flowering plant called Wild Pink or
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 53 Large Pink (Dianthus superbus). Note: com-
‘plant, vegetation’, and CO (see Note below)
as phonetic with associated sense taken as i]

356 The Remaining 1130 Characters

prises (see 611), a determinative originally up’. KJ1970:257; OT1968:858; SS1984:166;
depicting the side view of a person bending MS1995:v1:150-51.
over with arms lowered, signifying ‘embrace,
enclose’, with 220 ‘rice’ (here has more Mnemonic: CHRYSANTHEMUM IS ROUND
the sense ‘scattered grains’), giving ‘enclose PLANT HOLDING RICE-LIKE PETALS
within the hand(s), and by extension ‘scoop

吉1196 KICHI, KITSU (‘[type of ] halberd’: see 476/545) as phonetic
L1 good luck, joy with associated sense ‘chew, gnaw’, giving
‘eat with mouth full, eat’. Both the above
6 strokes views are listed by Mizukami and Katō. Other
treatments include another given by Katō,
KICHINICHI lucky day taking the second component as depicting
KIPPŌ good news an arrowhead, here used as a stopper and so
FUKITSU ill omen denoting ‘block, obstruct’, giving overall sense
‘cavity stopped/blocked’ (‘cavity’ being either
OBI ; bronze ; seal . Etymology the mouth or a container). Shirakawa, in more
disputed. This graph has a range of differ- idiosyncratic fashion, interprets early forms
ent early shapes, most of which are taken as of as depicting prayer strips crammed into
featuring 22 ‘mouth, opening, say’ as one a receptacle, giving original sense ‘cram into’.
component. With regard to the other com- ‘Happy, auspicious’ is probably an extended
ponent, one interpretation is to take it as sense deriving from having plenty to eat.
139 (original meaning uncertain, but hypoth- KJ1970:229; MS1995:v1:210-11; SS1984:167.
eses include ‘river blocked up’, with block, Suggest taking the modern graph as 521
obstruct’ as extended sense; q.v.), giving ‘samurai’ and 22 ‘mouth’.
‘mouth crammed with food, eat with mouth
full’. Another view treats the second compo- Mnemonic: SAMURAI OPEN MOUTHED WITH
nent (in the seal form onwards, regularized
to 521 ‘warrior, male, samurai’) as being JOY AFTER GOOD LUCK

喫1197 KITSU ‘mark with knife, engrave’; now means ‘pledge,
L2 ingest, receive join’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘chew’,
to give ‘eat by chewing, eat’; ‘receive’ is an ex-
12 strokes tended minor sense. KJ1970:258; OT1968:188;
SS1984:168. We suggest breaking down this
KITSUEN smoking graph into 56 ‘big’, 22 ‘mouth’, 198
KISSATEN cafe ‘sword’, and as variant of 315 ‘master’.
KISsuru* eat, drink, receive
Mnemonic: MASTER SWORD SWALLOWER
Seal ; a late graph (later version of Shuowen).
Has 22 ‘mouth, say’, and 1258 (originally, INGESTS ONE TOO BIG FOR MOUTH

詰1198 KITSU, tsumu/meru/ Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 118
L2 maru ‘words; speak’, and 1196 (‘auspicious’) as
pack, packed, full phonetic with associated sense ‘suffer’, to give
‘question rigorously/ exhaustively’; in Japanese,
13 strokes it has acquired the sense ‘pack’. KJ1970:230;
OT1968:927.
KITSUMON a grilling
tsumari in short Mnemonic: WORDS PACKED WITH JOY
tsumekomu cram

The Remaining 1130 Characters 357

却1199 KYAKU, kaette superior)’, then generalized to just ‘withdraw’.
L1 rather, instead, on the Whether by design or in error, left-hand was
contrary later replaced by 276 ‘go, leave’. ‘On the
contrary’ (i.e. the opposite of what might be
7 strokes expected) may be regarded as an extended
sense. Note: Katō takes to mean ‘roof of
KYAKKA rejection the mouth’, but Tōdō takes as ‘bend at back
TAIKYAKU retreat of knee’; in either case, refers to an inwardly-
HENKYAKU repayment curving – i.e. concave – part of the body.
DJ2009:v2:732; KJ1970:361; TA1965:398-400;
Seal ( ) ; a late graph (Shuowen). Originally, OT1968:146.
41 ‘person kneeling’, with (see Note be-
Mnemonic: BENDING MAN LEAVES, JUST TO
low; not to be confused with similar-shaped
135 ‘valley’) as phonetic with associated BE CONTRARY

sense ‘retreat, withdraw’, giving original sense
‘withdraw on one’s knees (from presence of a

脚1200 KYAKU, KYA, ashi Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 209 ‘meat,
L1 leg, foot flesh, body’, and CO (‘concave part of the
11 strokes body’ – see 1199 Note) as phonetic with
associated sense ‘bend back, bend’, giving
KYAKKA at one’s feet ‘shin, back of the leg’, then generalized to ‘leg’;
KYATATSU step-ladder also used of furniture legs. TA1965:398-400;
SANKYAKU tripod KJ1970:361; TA1968:822. Take 1199’s mod-
ern meaning‘on the contrary’.

Mnemonic: ON THE CONTRARY, A LEG IS A

VERY MEATY PART

虐1201 GYAKU, shiitageru Bronze ; seal . Has ‘tiger’ 1301, and
L1 cruelty, oppress , here as variant of 1739 ‘claw’, giving

9 strokes ‘tiger sinks claws into prey’; by extension, ‘treat
savagely; cruel’. MS1995:v2:1138-9; TA1965:267;
GYAKUSATSU massacre OT1968:880.
GYAKUTAI maltreatment
ZANGYAKU cruelty Mnemonic: TIGER’S CLAWS SYMBOLIZE CRUELTY

及1202 KYŪ, oyobi/bu/bosu OBI ; seal . The early forms show a hand
L1 reach, extend, and right behind – or holding – the leg of a person
in front, to give ‘catch up with, reach’, and by
3 strokes extension ‘extend to’, ‘and’. MS1995:v1:192-3;
KJ1970:259-60; OT1968:152. Suggest as digit
KYŪDAITEN pass mark 3, and 41 person.
TSUIKYŪ catch up
oyobigoshi a bent back Mnemonic: THREE PEOPLE REACH OUT AND

EXTEND THEMSELVES

358 The Remaining 1130 Characters

丘1203 KYŪ, oka ing the ground, beneath 224 (‘north’)
L1 hill, hillock as phonetic with associated sense ‘bulging
upwards’, to give ‘hillock’; this interpretation
5 strokes involving may be suggested by the seal
form (and hence favored by Shuowen), but the
SAKYŪ sand dune OBI forms suggest otherwise. MS1995:v1:6-7;
DANKYŪ terrace, beach QX2000:175; MR2007:389; SS1984:171;
KYŪRYŌ hillock TA1965:144; KJ1970:660-61. We suggest take
upper part as variant ax 1233, and a base-
OBI ; seal . The OBI form points to a likely line/level.
pictographic origin; typically taken as depict-
ing low-lying land with hillocks on two sides Mnemonic: REDUCE HILL TO LEVEL GROUND
(in the two-dimensional representation), and
signifying ‘hillock’. Katō prefers to interpret WITH AX!
it as , i.e. just a horizontal line represent-

朽1204 KYŪ, kuchiru ‘floating waterweed’, see 130) as phonetic with
L1 decay, rot associated sense ‘rot, decay’ (additional senses:
Mizukami adds ‘twist, bend’, while Ogawa adds
6 strokes ‘smells’), giving overall basic meaning ‘decayed
skeletal remains’, and by extension ‘rot, decay’.
RŌKYŪ decrepitude Shuowen lists 73 ‘wood/tree’ as an alternative
FUKYŪ imperishability to 歺/ as the left-hand component, to give
kuchiba dead leaves
, originally meaning ‘wood rots’ and then like-
Bronze ; seal forms (㱙), ( ). The wise generalized to ‘rot, decay’. DJ2009:v2:338;
left-hand element in bronze and the first seal MS1995:v1:708-10; KJ1970:264,165-6;
form (later 歺/ ), which originally represents OT1968:488.

skeletal remains, came to be used in graphs Mnemonic: TWISTED WEED ON ROTTING TREE

relating to death (e.g. 302 ‘die’), bones, or
major injuries; and here combines with 丂 (CO,

臼1205 KYŪ, usu Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Originally
L1 mortar, quern, a pictograph of a mortar, i.e. hand mill – a
concave receptacle for pounding grain.
hand mill DJ2009:v2:580; GY2008:277; OT1968:834. We
suggest taking the graph as a ‘broken day’
6 strokes ( 66 ‘day’), i.e. day-break.

KYŪHŌTAI mortar corps Mnemonic: AT DAY-BREAK ALL HANDS TO
hikiusu hand mill, quern
ishiusu stone mill, mortar THE MILL

糾1206 KYŪ OBI form depicts two vines or similar connect-
L1 entwine, examine ing) as semantic and phonetic, giving ‘twist,
plait’. Some scholars see the meaning ‘examine’
9 strokes as extended, others as borrowed. OT1968:767;
MS1995:v1:12-3; SS1984:174; AS2007:320. Take
FUNKYŪ complication 丩 as pitchfork.
KYŪDAN impeachment
KYŪMEI examination Mnemonic: PITCHFORK GETS ENTWINED

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has ‘thread’ WITH THREAD – NEED TO EXAMINE
29, and CO 丩 898 ‘twist, make rope’ (original

The Remaining 1130 Characters 359

嗅1207 KYŪ, kagu has come to predominate. In standard modern
L1 smell, sniff, scent Japanese usage, the semantically transparent
component 19 ‘dog’ here has been retained,
13 strokes but note that in 1452 ‘smell, odor’ when
used as an independent graph, standard usage
KYŪKAKU sense of smell still favors the semantically opaque 56 ‘big’
kagitabako* snuff as lower element due to earlier script simplifica-
kagidasu sniff/ferret out tion. SS1984:177; GY2008:1082; OT1968:192. We
suggest taking the elements as 150, which
Seal form (post-Shuowen) . This graph was is now used to mean ‘self’ but was originally a
originally written 399 ‘nose’, with 1452 nose, with ‘big spotted dog’ 19, plus ‘mouth’
‘smell, odor’, giving overall meaning ‘smell’
(verb), this being based on dogs being well- 22.
known for their keen sense of smell. Subse-
quently (Six Dynasties period [220-589AD] Mnemonic: BIG SPOTTED SNIFFER DOG HAS
onwards), 22 ‘mouth’ was sometimes used as
determinative in place of , giving , which MOUTH WITH NOSE TO SMELL

窮1208 KYŪ, kiwameru/maru deep into (a cave)’ (Tōdō, Ogawa); by extension,
L1 extreme, suffer ‘be in difficulties/an extreme situation’. Katō
takes the associated sense of / as ‘extreme’,
15 strokes to give ‘innermost part of cave dwelling’. Note:

KYŪKYOKU extremity is 339 ‘body’, with NJK ‘backbone,
KYŪKUTSU constraint spine’ (originally pictograph). DJ2009:v2:596;
KYŪBŌ poverty TA1965:225-6; KJ1970:264; GY2008:1084;
OT1968:742 SK1984:584. We suggest taking
Seal ( ) . Interpretations diverge. Has the elements as 860 ‘hole’, and further tak-
860 ‘cave, hole’, and NJK ‘body’; at the clerical ing the elements of into 339 (still with a
script stage, we find as an alternative form meaning of ‘body’) and as ‘bow’ 107.
(also NJK), and this latter appears to have later
gained ascendancy over . One analysis takes Mnemonic: BODY BOWED IN HOLE –

/ as phonetic with associated sense ‘bend EXTREME SUFFERING
the body over’, giving ‘bend over and enter

巨1209 KYO a figure holding what is taken alternatively to
L2 huge, giant be a carpenter’s square, with the center part
(corresponding to the projecting middle part
5 strokes of ) being a handle. Katō disagrees, since the
only forms he identifies as bronze equivalents
KYOJIN giant of do not include a person holding the item
KYODAI na massive in question, and in shape are quite similar to
KYOHI huge expense 125 ‘tool/work’, which as an independent graph
might represent an ax, though this is debatable.
OBI ; bronze form A ; bronze form B ; The seal form, it will be noticed, still has the
seal . Interpretations diverge. One view takes top and bottom lines of the graph projecting
it to originally depict the hole in an ax handle over to the left, but these were later shortened,
that is made for the axhead to fit into (Katō); resulting in the shape familiar to us today
the bronze form A shown is supportive of this as . Overall, commentators tend towards
view, perhaps indicating the point for the hole ‘carpenter’s square’ which seems more likely as
on an ax handle. Some of the bronze equiva- the original meaning. The modern sense ‘huge’
lents listed by Mizukami and Shirakawa, though is noted by Mizukami as a loan usage. Note:
(such as bronze form B), appear to depict
something quite different: many of them show

360 The Remaining 1130 Characters

distinguish carefully from the similar-shaped Mnemonic: NOT QUITE A RETAINER, BUT A
543 ‘retainer, minister’, q.v. KJ1970:267; HUGE GIANT WITH STARING EYE

MS1995:v1:428-9; SS1984:180; BK1957:43;
OT1968:309.

拒1210 KYO, kobamu phonetic with associated sense ‘prevent’, giving
L1 refuse, resist ‘prevent/hold in check (using the hands)’, then
generalized to ‘prevent, refuse’. may also
8 strokes possibly be seen as a cumbersome tool, giving
connotations of being an impediment, with
KYOZETSU refusal a resultant extended meaning of resistance.
KYOHI denial KJ1970:268; SS1984:180; OT1968:406.
KYOSHI refusal
Mnemonic: REFUSAL ENFORCED BY HUGE HAND
A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 34 ‘hand’,
and 1209 (now meaning ‘giant/huge’, but Or: WHO CAN RESIST SUCH A HUGE HAND?
originally probably ‘carpenter’s square’) as

拠1211 KYO, KO, yoru on’. Note: 豦 is typically interpreted as depict-
L1 base, basis ing a tiger ( 1301) and boar or wild pig (
89) fighting each other. The right-hand part of
8 strokes the modern form is based on a cursive style
which is the same shape as (907 ‘deal with’).
KONKYO base, basis SS1984:180; TA1965:385; MS1995:v2:1222-4;
SHŌKO proof KJ1970:268; GY2008:1582; ZY2009:v2:435. Take
yoridokoro grounds
as ‘deal with’.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
Has 34 ‘hand’, with CO 豦 as phonetic with Mnemonic: DEALING BY HAND SEEMS A
associated sense ‘rest on, hold onto’, thus ‘hold
SOUND BASIS
onto with the hands’, and by extension ‘rely

虚1212 KYO, KO, uro ‘hillock’, and 1301 (‘tiger’) as phonetic with
L1 empty, hollow, dip associated sense ‘big’, thus ‘big hill’. Based on
early forms of , Tōdō takes to show hil-
11 strokes locks around a central depression or basin, thus
giving ‘empty’ as extended sense. Ogawa, how-
KYOGI falsehood ever, treats ‘empty’ as loan usage. OT1968:881;
KOKŪ empty space TA1965:398-400; MS1995:v1:7-8. Suggest as
KYOMUSHUGI nihilism variant of 977 ‘line up’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . Has Mnemonic: EMPTY TIGERS LINED UP IN HOLLOW!
, a minor variation of early form of 1203

距1213 KYO from the rest’, i.e. ‘cockspur’ (Mizukami), or ii]
L1 distance, cockspur ‘drive back, repel’, giving ‘part of [cock’s] foot
which drives back opponents, cockspur’ (Oga-
12 strokes wa), with ‘repel’ in turn giving ‘distance’ (Katō).
Shirakawa too treats here as phonetic, but
KYORI distance also posits a graphic link, likening the projecting
KYOKOTSU anklebone horizontal lines in early forms of to the pro-
SOKKYOGI range finder jecting nature of a cockspur. MS1995:v2:1262-3;
OT1968:970; SS1984:182; KJ1985:588.
Bronze ; seal . Has 54 ‘foot’, and 1209
(‘carpenter’s square’, now ‘huge’, see) as phonetic Mnemonic: HUGE FOOT COVERS DISTANCE
with associated sense taken as i] ‘separated’,
giving ‘part of [cock’s] foot separated/distanced The Remaining 1130 Characters 361

御1214 GYO, GO, o(n)-, mi- stop’, a meaning illustrated, for instance, in
L2 handle, drive, your, GYOEN ’Imperial garden’ (i.e. garden with
honorable
strictly-controlled access). The sense ‘man-
12 strokes age, control’, as in GYOsuru (idem), reflects a
generalization of the original sense of ; note,
GYOSHA carter though, that ‘drive/manage horses’ still survives
GOYŌ your business as a minor sense, often in historical contexts.
SEIGYO control Note 1: in Katō’s analysis, consists of
‘kneeling person; submissive’, with (origi-
OBI ; bronze ; seal . OBI equivalent nally ‘pestle, pounder’; see 1074, 122) as pho-
and bronze equivalents vary. The bronze form netic with associated sense ‘confined’, giving
here has 131 and 143 (usually ‘stop’, but ‘confined slave’ and by extension ‘horse groom’.
here denotes movement; and typically Note 2: Several commentators (Mizukami,
combine later as and then , as in 205, Katō) also list bronze forms which include
etc.), and , taken by Katō as phonetic with as- ‘horse’, which they identify as and treat as
sociated sense ‘look after horses’ to give ‘horse an alternative form of . Shirakawa, though,
groom drives horse’, and by extension in some treats as a separate graph, not as an alterna-
bronze texts ‘drive (a chariot)’. and fea- tive form of , and suggests that confusion
ture in the above bronze form of , but in the arose at some point between the two because
view of Karlgren and also Mizukami they are of similar pronunciation. MS1995:v1:486-7;
sometimes absent, in which case the bronze BK1957:36; KJ1970:849-50; SS1984:185-6.
is just the same in some occurrences as for
1074 (q.v.). Use of in its more familiar role Mnemonic: HONORABLE BENDING PERSON
as a respect language prefix is a loan usage,
representing an abbreviation of ‘prevent, HANDLES PESTLE WHILE MOVING

凶1215 KYŌ with associated sense ‘empty’, giving ‘mouth
L1 bad luck, disaster is empty’, and by extension ‘bad, misfortune’.
An alternative interpretation takes as
4 strokes representing a hole in the ground, and as a
person stuck in it, again leading to ‘bad’ as an
KYŌAKU na atrocious extended sense (this view noted in Mizukami).
KYŌSAKU poor harvest OT1968:108; MS1995:v1:120-21; KJ1970:273.
KIKKYŌ one’s fortune
Mnemonic: X INDICATES BOX IS EMPTY –
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Typically ana-
lyzed as ‘open container, open mouth’, and WHAT BAD LUCK
inner element (seal form) or as phonetic

叫1216 KYŌ, sakebu Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 22
L2 shout, yell ‘mouth; speak’, and 丩898 (‘intertwine’ as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘loud’ (Ogawa) or
6 strokes ‘suddenly’ (Katō). The 17th century Zhengzitong
dictionary treats as a simplified version of
ZEKKYŌ scream 嘂, a graph listed in Shuowen and explained as
sakebigoe a shout, yell ‘call out loud’. Note: in standard Japanese usage,
sakebidasu cry out 丩 is three strokes, not two. DJ2009:v1:119,179;
MS1995:v1:12-13; KJ1970:358; OT1968:165.
Suggest 丩 as pitchfork.

Mnemonic: PITCHFORK IN THE MOUTH

RESULTS IN A YELL

362 The Remaining 1130 Characters

狂1217 KYŌ, kuruu come twisted’ (Ogawa), ‘insane’ (Katō [Ogawa
L1 lunatic, mad also, as extended sense]), either way giving
‘uncontrollable dog’, and by extension ‘dog
7 strokes goes out of control’, then ‘dog’ was dropped to
give generalized ‘go wild/insane’. Tōdō’s view
KYŌJIN lunatic is based on taking the right-hand element
KYŌGEN (dramatic) farce as originally corresponding to the same ele-
kurutta mad, insane ment in 652 ‘go’, on which Qiu is in agree-
ment. TA1965:415; OT1968:640; QX2000:253;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 19 ‘dog’, KJ1970:270-71. Suggest taking right-hand
and element (modified from the clerical element simply as 5 ‘king’.
script stage onwards to ) as phonetic with
the associated sense taken either as i] ‘walk/ Mnemonic: THE KING IS A MAD DOG!
move around randomly’ (Tōdō), or ii] ‘be-

享1218 KYŌ graph with two watchtowers, one on top, one
L1 receive, have beneath, signifying structures opposite each
other; this view seems unnecessary, for the
8 strokes meaning is the same, whether one watchtower
or two. Senses such as ‘receive’ are loan usages.
KYŌJUSHA recipient OT1968:37; QX2000:129,323; KJ1970:281. Take
KYŌYŪ possession
KYŌRAKU enjoyment 27 ‘child’, lid , 22 ‘mouth’.

Bronze ; seal . Bronze shows a watchtow- Mnemonic: CHILD RECEIVES LID OVER
er atop city walls. Some scholars (Katō, Ogawa)
take this as abbreviated version of same MOUTH

況1219 KYŌ, mashite Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 42
L2 situation, more so ‘water’, and 114 (‘elder brother’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘cold’, thus giving ‘cold
8 strokes water’. The abstract meanings such as ‘situation’
and ‘all the more’ are loan usages. KJ1970:269-
JŌKYŌ situation 70; OT1968:565.
mashite more so
iwanya* still more/less Mnemonic: WET SITUATION, EVEN MORE SO

FOR ELDER BROTHER

峡1220 KYŌ arms outstretched 56 ‘big’, with two smaller
L1 ravine, gorge, pass people ( + , 41) under those outstretched
arms. It functions as both semantic and
9 strokes phonetic, giving ‘that which comes between
mountains’, i.e. ‘ravine, gorge, pass’. OT1968:303;
KAIKYŌ strait(s) SS1984:193; TA1965:862. We suggest taking the
KYŌKOKU ravine, gorge right hand element as 601 ‘man, husband’
CHIKYŌ isthmus and as ‘away, out’ 70.

A late, post-Shuowen graph; traditional . Has Mnemonic: MAN TRIES TO GET OUT OF
26 ‘mountain, hill’, and NJK ‘put between’.
MOUNTAIN RAVINE
The latter element comprises one person with

The Remaining 1130 Characters 363

挟1221 KYŌ, hasamu/maru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
L2 insert, pinch, squeeze Has 34 ‘hand’, and NJK (‘put between’, ‘un-
der the arms’, see 1220) as semantic and pho-
9 strokes netic, giving ‘put between, insert’.OT1968:414;
SS1984:193; TA1965:862. We suggest taking the
KYŌGEKI pincer attack right hand element as 601 ‘man, husband,’
itabasami dilemma and as ‘away’ 70.
hasamimushi earwig
Mnemonic: MAN SQUEEZED BY HAND CAN’T

GET AWAY

狭1222 KYŌ, semai (‘hold under arms’, see 1220) is phonetic with
L2 narrow, small associated sense ‘held between on both sides’,
giving ‘blocked on both sides by hills/moun-
9 strokes tains’; hence, ‘narrow valley’, then generalized
to ‘narrow, small’. KJ1970:174; QX2000:267. Take
KYŌGI narrow meaning right hand element as ‘man’ 603 and as
KŌKYŌ extent, area ‘away’ 70.
semakurushii cramped
Mnemonic: SMALL MAN NARROWLY GETS
Seal ( ) . with 19 ‘dog’ is an error
for earlier with ‘hill, terraced slope’ 1907. AWAY FROM DOG
Qiu states this occurred at an early stage.

恐1223 KYŌ, osoroshii/reru ii] ‘empty’, thus ‘feel empty as if a hole in the
L2 fear, awe heart’, again giving ‘be afraid’ as extended sense
(Tōdō), or iii] ‘fearful’, thus ‘be afraid’ (Ogawa).
10 strokes Note: 巩 is 丮 ‘hold out hands’ 905, with
125 as phonetic with associated sense ‘em-
KYŌFU fear brace’, thus ‘embrace with hands’. KJ1970:277;
KYŌEIBYŌ Anglophobia MS1995:v1:504-6; TA1965:306; OT1968:368;
osoreiru be awed, sorry KJ1970:277. Take ‘work’ and as desk.

Seal . Has 164 ‘heart, feeling’, and 巩 Mnemonic: WORK AT DESK GIVES FEELING
as phonetic with associated sense taken as i]
‘pierce’, thus ‘feeling as if heart is pierced’, and OF FEAR
‘be afraid’ as extended sense (Mizukami), or

恭1224 KYŌ, uyauyashii the same), though its shape is quite different
L1 respectful from the seal equivalent. At the seal stage, the
dragon element has disappeared, and instead
10 strokes there is 164 ‘heart, feelings’ beneath 484
(orig. hands offering up an object; now means
KYŌJUN obedience ‘together’). Despite the changed composition
KYŌKEI respect of the seal form onwards, the meaning is essen-
KYŌKEN deference tially the same: ‘act respectfully’. GY2008:992;
MS1995:v1:504-5; BK1957:304-5; OT1968:368;
OBI ; seal . OBI form has hands raised up SS1884:194.
towards an upper element taken as the ‘dragon’
of myth and legend, this serving as semantic Mnemonic: WHEN TOGETHER, FEELINGS
and phonetic, to give ‘venerate with hands
raised’. Mizukami and Gu propose the OBI SHOULD BE RESPECTFUL
form above (Karlgren also lists one virtually

364 The Remaining 1130 Characters

脅1225 KYŌ, odo(ka)su, Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 209 ‘flesh,
L1 obiyakasu meat, body’, and (three bulging arms [see

threaten, coerce 78], giving ‘combined strength’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘side (of the chest)’ (Katō
10 strokes says ‘that which is between the elbows’), thus
‘side of the chest’; ‘threaten’ is a loan usage.
KYŌHAKU threat MS1995:v1:138-40; KJ1970:360-61; OT1968:821;
KYŌI threat, menace GY2008:680-81.
odokashite threateningly
Mnemonic: THREE STRONG ARMS THREATEN

ONE’S BODY

矯1226 KYŌ, tameru sense. Since a bent arrow needed straightening
L1 straighten, to fly true, over time ‘straighten’ evolved as a
second extended sense, and this has come to
falsify be the main meaning. Note: bronze forms of
consist of 132 (‘high’; originally tall structure,
17 strokes such as watchtower), with curved stroke(s) sig-
nifying ‘curved’. That is, both mean ‘high’ now.
KYŌSEITEKI corrective MS1995:v1:236-7; KJ1970:274-5; SS1984:200;
KIKYŌ eccentricity TA1965:263. We suggest remembering in as-
tamenaosu correct sociation with 277 ‘bridge’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 145 Mnemonic: STRAIGHTEN ARROW BENT LIKE
‘arrow’, and NJK 277 (now ‘high’, originally
building with curved upper structure, q.v.) as ARCHED BRIDGE
semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘curved, bent’,
thus ‘bent arrow’, and ‘falsify’ as an extended

響1227 KYŌ, hibiku Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional form
L1 resound, echo, effect has as top element. Has 6 ‘sound’, and

20 strokes ( ) (‘village, rural’ 852) as phonetic with
associated sense taken either as i] ‘air moves’
AKUEIKYŌ bad influence (Tōdō), or ii] ‘spread outwards’ (Ogawa), giving
KŌKYŌKYOKU symphony ‘sound which moves/spreads out’. Katō takes
hibikiwataru resound
itself as ‘spreading sound’. TA1965:401-03;
OT1968:1100; KJ1985:660.

Mnemonic: SOUND OF VILLAGE FEAST

ECHOES

驚1228 KYŌ, odoroku/kasu the body’, thus ‘horse is startled’; later general-
L1 surprise ized to ‘be startled/surprised’. Shirakawa, how-
ever, interprets as ‘hit to admonish someone
22 strokes making spell-like prayer’, with added, he
suggests, as an animal easily startled. The for-
KYŌI miracle, wonder mer view seems more persuasive. TA1965:495-
KYŌGAKU shock 7; OT1968:1130; SS1984:202.
odorokubeki startling
Mnemonic: A RESPECTFUL HORSE? WHAT A
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 210
‘horse’, and 856 (‘respect’) as phonetic, taken SURPRISE!
in one view with associated sense ‘brace/tense

The Remaining 1130 Characters 365

仰1229 GYŌ, KŌ, aogu, ōse Seal ( ) ; seal ( ) . Older graph is
L1 look up, respect, state analyzed as ‘person kneeling’ 41 in front of
someone standing (Mizukami takes as ‘person
6 strokes standing up tall’), giving ‘look up at and greet
(an arriving guest)’. Later graph has addi-
GYŌTEN amazement tional ‘person’ element ( 41); this is believed
SHINKŌ creed, faith not to represent an extra third person, but a
GYŌGYŌshii grandiose way to distinguish it from another similar char-
acter ( 1273 ‘greet’). MS1995:v1:48-50,176-8;
KJ1970:179-80; OT1968:50.

Mnemonic: KNEELING PERSON LOOKING UP

AT OTHERS WITH RESPECT

暁1230 GYŌ, akatsuki clear’, i.e. ‘dawn’. may well also lend a seman-
L1 dawn, light, event tic element in the idea of tall, indicating rising
high. Dawn is also an event. Note: consists
12 strokes of 垚 ‘earth piled up high’, with ‘person with
head above others’, giving ‘tall person’, and by
GYŌTEN dawn extension ‘outstanding person’. OT1968:470;
TSŪGYŌ conversancy KJ1970:282; TA1965:266; MS1995:v1:274-5. See
GYŌSEI Venus, rarity also 539 ‘burn’, which we suggest taking by
association to remember 1230.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
Has 66 ‘sun’, with CO (‘tall person’) as pho- Mnemonic: SUN HAS DAWNED, BUT NOT
netic with associated sense taken as ‘become
bright, white’, giving ‘light of the sun becomes QUITE BURNING HEAT

凝1231 GYŌ, koru/rasu Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). The seal
L1 stiff, engrossed, fixed, equivalent of is included in Shuowen, but
not as a main heading, only as an alternative
elaborate form for ‘ice’ in popular usage. has 401
‘ice’ (originally, pictograph of cracks or irregular-
16 strokes ities in ice), and 848 (originally ‘child stands
unsteadily’, now ‘doubt’) as phonetic with asso-
GYŌSHI stare ciated sense ‘remain still’, giving ‘ice forms and
koriSHŌ fastidiousness stays still’. By extension, ‘stiff; engrossed, fixed’.
kotta elaborate ‘Elaborate’ may relate to patterns of ice-cracks.
DJ2009:v3:935; KJ1970:248; OT1968:106.

Mnemonic: DOUBT ICE IS STIFF

巾1232 KIN, haba OBI ; seal . Originally, pictograph of a
L1 cloth, rag, width scrap of cloth with an upper end (symbolized
by the longer vertical line) to tuck into the belt
3 strokes or waist sash. MS1995:v1:434-5; OT1968:313;
KJ1970:286; MR2007:580.
KINCHAKU purse, pouch
FUKIN dishcloth Mnemonic: A TRIDENT MADE OF CLOTH!?
kohaba narrow width

366 The Remaining 1130 Characters

斤1233 KIN lizard’, giving ‘ax with curved handle’ (Katō). The
L1 weight, ax OBI form, though, is of different structure, and
Qiu convincingly analyzes this as representing
4 strokes an ax or adze-like tool about to cut an object
(Qiu says a tree) in half. In ancient times this
KINRYŌ old weight tool was also used as a convenient measure
KINme old weight of weight, hence the extended sense ‘unit of
FUKIN ax weight’; in Japan as a traditional unit of weight,
about 600 grams. KJ1970:285; QX2000:180,55;
OBI ; bronze ; seal . One view, based MS1995:v1:594-5; OT1968:449.
on the bronze form, takes as the curved handle
of an ax, with the outer element (‘cliff’) as Mnemonic: HACKSAW-LIKE AX IS QUITE A WEIGHT
phonetic with associated sense ‘curved like a

菌1234 KIN thus ‘blotch-like growth in damp, shady places’
L1 fungus, bacteria (Katō), or ii] ‘crowded’, thus ‘crowded plant
growth’ (Shirakawa). In Shuowen, is de-
11 strokes fined as ‘mushroom’; ‘fungus, bacterium’ are
extended sense. Note: CO 囷 (‘granary’) is
SAIKIN bacteria 84 ‘enclosure’, with ‘grain’ 87. QX2000:193;
KINRUI fungi KJ1970:295; SS1984:208-9.
HOKINSHA germ carrier
Mnemonic: GRAIN PLANT IN ENCLOSURE
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 53 ‘plant’,
with 囷 (‘round granary’) as phonetic with GETS FUNGUS

associated sense taken as i] ‘shady and damp’,

琴1235 KIN, koto the lower element changed to 138
L1 koto (oriental harp) (‘now’) as phonetic with associated sense usu-
ally taken as ‘enclose in box shape, enclose’, thus
12 strokes ‘box-shape musical instrument with strings’, i.e.
koto. Ogawa, however, takes associated sense
teFŪKIN accordion to be ‘sound’. Mizukami and Ogawa take the
KINSEN heartstrings keyhole-shaped element in seal form, corre-
kotozume plectrum sponding to in as abbreviation of later

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Seal form, which , as phonetic. MS1995:v2:854-5; KJ1970:243;
lacks , the bottom two strokes of , shows SS1984:210; OT1968:658. Take as ‘king’ 5.
body (bridge) and strings of a koto (Oriental
harp) stood upright. At the clerical script stage, Mnemonic: NOW TWO KINGS PLAY THE KOTO

僅1236 KIN, wazuka sociated sense ‘a little, scant’, thus ‘person of
L1 few/little, barely meagre talents’; later generalized to ‘meagre, a
little’. Note: OBI ancestral form of has ‘fire’ as
13 strokes bottom element, though less clear in bronze,
then erroneously changed to ‘earth’ 64 in
KINKIN merely, only seal. TA1965:695-8; SS1984:210; GY2008:1186;
KINSHŌ few, little WB1994:162; OT1968:217; MS1995:v1:270-71.
KINSHŌSA slight majority Take as ‘odd’ master 315, ‘eye’ 76, ‘grass’

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 53.
‘person’, with CO (‘burning human sacrifice’
as rain-making ritual or ‘burning of drought Mnemonic: ODD MASTER KEEPS EYE ON
god effigy’ [Mizukami]) as phonetic with as-
PERSONS IN THE GRASS – ONLY A FEW

The Remaining 1130 Characters 367

緊1237 KIN strings/thread straight’ (Gu), ‘pull strings/thread
L1 tight, compact, tense tight’ (Ogawa), or ‘bind tight’ (Schuessler).
‘Tense’ is an extended sense. Note: Shirakawa,
15 strokes who similarly gives the meaning of 臤 as ‘to
destroy an eyeball’, believes it was made part of
KINCHŌ tension a sacrificial ritual when something important
KINKYŪ crisis was being sought from the deities. GY2008:
KINMITSU compactness 1036,605; OT1968:785; SS1984:212; AS2007:315.
We suggest taking the components literally,
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 29 though gruesome.
‘thread/string’, and NJK 臤 (now means ‘hard,
wise’, but bronze form originally depicted a Mnemonic: HAND PULLS OUT EYEBALL AND
hand [ 2003] pulling out an eyeball [ 543,
now meaning ‘minister’]) as semantic and THREADS IT TIGHT – QUITE TENSE
phonetic, meaning ‘pull straight’, to give ‘pull

錦1238 KIN, nishiki dictionary of ca. 200AD, treats as indicat-
L1 brocade, showy ing this type of fabric is the most valuable,
just as ‘gold’ is the most valuable metal.
16 strokes ‘Brocade’, a cloth which does not necessarily
use silk, is extended sense. Note: com-
Kara nishiki Chinese brocade prises 1232 ‘cloth fragment, cloth’, with
nishikigoi colored carp
nishikiE colored print 69 ‘white’. GY2008:1609; OT1968:320,315;
MS1995:v1:438-9; TA1965:822.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has NJK ‘white
silk, silk cloth’, with 16 ‘gold’ as semantic and Mnemonic: GOLD BROCADE ON WHITE
phonetic, giving ‘silk fabric with gold color’.
Tōdō, following an explanation in the Shiming CLOTH IS SHOWY

謹1239 KIN, tsutsushimu Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 118
L1 circumspect ‘words; speak’, and (‘sacrificial burning’: see
1236) as phonetic with associated sense ‘scant,
17 strokes sparse; barely’, giving ‘restrain one’s words, be
cautious’. Note: for etymology of , see 1236.
KINGEN seriousness OT1968:939; KJ1970:294; TA1965:695-8. For
KINKEI Dear Sirs explanation of mnemonic, see 1236.
tsutsushinde respectfully
Mnemonic: ODD MASTER USES

CIRCUMSPECT WORDS WHEN GETTING

GRASS IN EYE

襟1240 KIN, eri A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has / 444
L1 collar, neck, neckband ‘garment’, and 682 (‘forbid, ban’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘close, shut’, thus ‘garment
18 strokes seam’; ‘neckband, collar’ is an extended sense.
OT1968:910; SS1984:213.
KYŌKIN bosom, heart
KINDO generosity Mnemonic: COLLARS ARE BANNED GARMENTS
erikubi nape of neck

368 The Remaining 1130 Characters

吟1241 GIN ing is normally emitted with the mouth open,
L1 recite, sing a point which brings this interpretation of
the meaning into question. On the basis of
7 strokes usage in early texts, Qiu interprets the original
meaning of as ‘close the mouth and remain
GIN’EI recital silent’; if this is accepted, senses such as ‘moan,
GINMI scrutiny sing, recite’ need to be regarded as loan us-
GIN’YŪSHIJIN minstrel ages. OT1968:170; SS1984:214; KJ1970:176;
QX2000.
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 22
‘mouth’, and 138 (‘now’) as phonetic, the Mnemonic: NOWADAYS ONE RECITES WITH
latter typically interpreted as ‘close, shut’,
thus giving ‘close mouth and moan’ (Ogawa, MOUTH WIDE OPEN
Shirakawa) or ‘moan’ (Katō). However, moan-

駆1242 KU, kakeru, karu Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional
L1 gallop, spur on . Has 210 ‘horse’, and 282 ( ‘ward,

14 strokes section’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘hit, strike’, to give ‘whip a horse (and make it
SENKUSHA pioneer gallop)’. ‘Urge on/spur on’ as a general use is an
karidasu flush out (hunt) extended sense. KJ1970:296; OT1968:1124.
kakeochi elopement
Mnemonic: SPURRED ON HORSE GALLOPS

THROUGH THE WARD

惧1243 GU, KU, osoreru ated sense ‘look round nervously’(Mizukami,
L1 fear, awe, risk, Shirakawa), both cases giving same overall
sense ‘be afraid’. is a later popular form.
apprehension Note: has 䀠 ‘look left and right’, with
324 ‘short-tailed bird’, thus ‘bird looks round
11 strokes nervously’ (Shirakawa). Qiu prefers ‘eagle’s gaze’.
MS1995:v1:530-31; SS1984:218; GY2008:1328;
osore fear, awe OT1968:392; QX2000:197; DJ2009:v3:850. Sug-
KIGU fear, misgivings gest as 76 ‘eye’ with ‘hands’ / .
KIGU no NEN apprehension
Mnemonic: WHEN FEAR IS IN THE HEART,
Seal ; traditional . Has 164 ‘heart/mind’
and (orig ‘bird looks round nervously’; see COVER EYES WITH HANDS
Note below). is taken as semantic and pho-
netic (Ogawa, Gu) or just phonetic with associ-

愚1244 GU, oroka Bronze ; seal . Has ‘heart/mind’ 164, and
L1 foolish CO (originally showing monkey with large
head and long tail, now ‘begin’) as phonetic
13 strokes with associated sense ‘circuitous, dull, stiff’, thus
‘mind works in roundabout/slow manner’, i.e.
GUJIN fool ‘stupid’. MS1995:v1:516-7,v2:958-9; TA1965:313-
GUZUru grumble 5; OT1968:380,727;TA1965:313-5. Take as
GUKŌ foolish act leggy insect in ‘field’ 63.

Mnemonic: LEGGY INSECT IN FIELD GIVES

FOOLISH FEELING IN HEART

The Remaining 1130 Characters 369

偶1245 GŪ Shuowen defines as ‘[image of ] person made
L2 by chance, doll, of paulownia wood’. ‘Even number’ may be
seen as extended sense based on two (original
spouse and likeness): likewise ‘spouse’. Shirakawa also
takes as ‘doll, image made as likeness’, but
11 strokes links original sense back to , taking as initially
showing effigy in shape of deity with large
GŪZEN by chance head. DJ2009:v2:663; OT1968:73; KJ1970:298;
GŪZŌ idol, image SS1984:220; GY2008:1100. Use as leggy
HAIGŪSHA spouse insect in ‘field’ 63.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 ‘per- Mnemonic: BY CHANCE, PERSON
son’, and (see 1244) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense either as i] ‘product’ (Ogawa), or ii] ENCOUNTERS LEGGY INSECT IN FIELD
‘together, meet, resemble;’ (Katō), giving ‘effigy’.

遇1246 GŪ sented near-homophones in early Chinese;
L1 meet, receive, treat unfortunately there is no information on these
two graphs in Tōdō’s work on word-families.
12 strokes Based on the etymologies for 1245 and 1246,
one would expect the term GŪZEN, meaning
KIGŪ chance meeting ‘by chance’, to be written with , whereas in
TAIGŪ reception practice (standard usage) it is which is used.
FUGŪ misfortune OT1968:1006; DJ2009:v1:144; AS2007:407;
GY2008:1100. Note 1: distinguish this graph in
Bronze ; seal . Has 85 ‘walk, go’, and use from 1245. Note 2: a bronze form for
(see 1244) as phonetic with associated sense
‘from two directions’, thus ‘(several people) has been given here, following Mizukami
meet each other/meet from two directions’. and Shirakawa, but the role of the additional
Shuowen defines the graph as ‘meet by chance’. top element, which seems to be 30 ‘cover-
The sense ‘chance encounter’ seems to have ing, roof’ is unclear. As as mnemonic, we again
broadened to include planned meetings too, suggest taking as a long-legged insect in a
giving rise to ‘receive/ look after (guest, etc.)’ as ‘field’ 63.
a further extended sense. It is quite likely that
some confusion arose between usage of this Mnemonic: MEET LEGGY INSECT WHILE
graph ( ) and 1245, both of which repre-
MOVING THROUGH FIELD

隅1247 GŪ, sumi Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has )
L2 corner, nook 1907 ‘hill, terraced slope’, with (see 1244)
as phonetic with associated sense taken
12 strokes variously, including i] ‘curved’ (Ogawa), ii]
‘curved; corner or crease’ (Tōdō), iii] ‘something
ICHIGŪ corner, nook resembles something else’ (noted in Mizu-
sumiishi cornerstone kami), all giving the overall meaning ‘corner
katasumi corner, nook shapes or creases/folds in hills’. OT1968:1072;
TA1965:307-11; MS1995:v2:1400-01. As as
mnemonic, we again suggest taking as a
long-legged insect in a ‘field’ 63.

Mnemonic: A LEGGY INSECT IN A CORNER OF

A HILLSIDE FIELD

370 The Remaining 1130 Characters

串1248 kushi, KAN Originally, pictograph of items such as shell
L2 pierce, skewer currency on a cord (Gu, who gives an apparent
OBI and seal forms, takes the items as being on
7 strokes a cord or alternatively a stick). ‘Pierce, pen-
etrate’ is an extended sense, as also is ‘skewer’.
kushizashi skewering GY2008:433; SS1984:117-8.
kushiyaki spit roasted
yakigushi skewer, spit Mnemonic: PIERCE ITEMS WITH A SKEWER

屈1249 KUTSU talia’/ ‘castrate’. This analysis of is widely held.
L1 crouch, bend, However, Ogawa takes as phonetic with
associated sense ‘crush, break’, but Mizukami
submit rejects this. The modern meaning ‘bend’ (and
by extension, ‘subjugate’) according to Qiu
8 strokes originated in loan usage of as a substitute
for 詘 ‘bend’, a graph disused by Western Han
KUPPUKU surrender times. Shirakawa sees as wild animal with
FUKUTSU unyielding bending tail, but early forms suggest other-
KUSSEKI refraction wise. AS2007:435,191,511; QX2000:129-30,389;
MS1995:v1:408-9; OT1968:296; SS1984:221-2.
Bronze ; seal . Has , here not ‘corpse/ Take as buttocks.
bending person’ but an abbreviation of 1888
(‘tail’), which originally had the sense ‘genitalia’ Mnemonic: PUT OUT BUTTOCKS IN SUB-
or ‘posterior’ (and by extension, ‘copulate’).
This combines with 36 ‘put out’, meaning MISSIVE CROUCH!?
‘remove’, giving overall meaning ‘remove geni-

掘1250 KUTSU, horu ‘dig out, dig’. Katō, however, takes associated
L2 dig sense as ‘turn soil with plow’, thus ‘turn soil by
hand and make hole’. is given in Shuowen as
11 strokes ‘dig out’; for the similar-shaped graph 1990
(‘ditch’), Shuowen gives meaning ‘rabbit digs/
HAKKUTSU excavation rabbit warren’. Some early texts seem to show
horidasu dig out, unearth interchangeability or confusion of usage be-
SAIKUTSU mining tween and . OT1968:417; TA1965:707-10;
AS2007:337; KJ1970:304-5.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 hand,
and 1249 (‘crouch’) as phonetic with asso- Mnemonic: CROUCH TO DIG BY HAND
ciated sense usually taken as ‘scoop up’, thus

窟1251 KUTSU, iwaya (Ogawa); Schuessler, though, gives first mean-
L1 cave, den ing for as ‘dig in the ground, underground’.
Tōdō, for his part, takes this graph as signify-
13 strokes ing ‘cave/hole hollowed out in a round shape’.
Perhaps best taken as ‘that which has been dug
DŌKUTSU cave, cavern out’ (whether by human endeavor or forces of
SŌKUTSU den, hangout nature). OT1968:742; AS2007:337; TA1965:710;
MAKUTSU brothel GY2008:1665. Note: is grouped together
with (‘moat, ditch, canal’ 1990) by Gu and
Seal ; a late graph (Yupian). Later (post-seal) Schuessler.
form replaces 64 ‘earth, ground’ with 860
‘hole, cave’, and 1249 (‘bend, crouch’) as Mnemonic: CROUCH TO GET INTO CAVE
phonetic with associated sense taken as ‘dig’

The Remaining 1130 Characters 371

熊1252 kuma, YŪ as being the spirit of the flames. Shirakawa
L1 bear takes a less certain stance, and regards the
etymology of as difficult to make clear (he
14 strokes alone considers 787 as originally not “bear”
but “aquatic insect”). It should be noted that
kumade garden rake there are indeed bears in Japan, now almost
akaguma brown bear entirely confined to the northern island of
Kumamoto place name Hokkaidō, and there are still on occasion bear
attacks. The indigenous people of Hokkaidō,
OBI ; bronze ; seal . From seal form the Ainu, have traditionally worshipped the
onwards has 8 ‘fire’ (in variant shape ), bear, and until relatively recently their main
and 787 (‘can, ability’), typically taken as festival involved a bear sacrifice. The sacrificial
phonetic with associated sense ‘flames burn element has now ceased. Finally, note that
brightly’, thus giving ‘light of fire, flames burn
brightly’. In this view, ‘bear’ is a loan usage 787 itself would have been the original
of . An alternative interpretation of the way of writing . KJ1970:35-6; OT1968:625;
meaning (noted by Mizukami), perhaps on MS1995:v2:806-7,1074-5.
the basis of some of the OBI and bronze oc-
currences, is ‘fat of wild animals which burns Mnemonic: DOES A BEAR HAVE THE ABILITY
long’, with ‘bear’ as an extended sense on the
basis that the bear came to be thought of TO MAKE FIRE?

繰1253 kuru, SŌ extension or loan ‘reel thread’. Tōdō takes ex-
L1 reel, turn tended sense as ‘draw from surface’, thus ‘draw
off thread from cocoon surface’. Note: 喿 has
19 strokes three mouths 22, i.e. ‘many mouths’, with
73 ‘tree’, giving ‘birds settle and sing noisily in
kuriito silk reeling tree’, then generalized to ‘noisy’. OT1968:793;
kurikosu transfer SS1984:550; TA1965:258-60; MS1995:v1:242-3.
kurikaesu repeat Suggest 喿 as three wooden boxes.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 29 Mnemonic: PUT REELED THREADS INTO
‘thread’, and CO 喿 as phonetic with associ-
ated sense in one view as ‘navy blue’, thus THREE WOODEN BOXES
‘navy silk’ (Ogawa, Shirakawa), then through

勲1254 KUN heavy’, i.e. be in abundance (Tōdō explains this
L1 merit as being as if human endeavor were to ‘hang
heavy’ like incense-laden smoke emanating
15 strokes from a bouquet of fragrant herbs); either analy-
sis gives same overall sense of ‘much effort’.
KUNSHŌ medal Ogawa treats as serving not as semantic
SHUKUN great merit in the graph but as phonetic with associ-
KUN’I order of merit ated sense ‘gather’ or ‘serve’, which he takes as
giving the overall sense ‘merit in govt, merit’.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional form KJ1970:344; TA1965:625,723-5; OT1968:130;
has in top left. Has 78 ‘strength/effort’, MS1995:v2:806-8. Take as 326 ‘heavy’.
and NJK (‘smolder’; orig signified bouquet
of fragrant herbs smoldering over fire 8 Mnemonic: BURN ONESELF OUT WITH HEAVY
[Ogawa], or smoke rising through upper vent
[Mizukami]) as phonetic with associated sense EFFORT – GREAT MERIT
taken as i] ‘much/many’ (Katō), or ii] ‘hang

372 The Remaining 1130 Characters

薫1255 KUN, kaoru/ri Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
L1 aroma, fragrance Has 53 ‘plant’, and (‘smolder’, see 1254)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘fragrance
16 strokes hangs heavy’, giving ‘fragrant herb, fragrance;
be fragrant’. OT1968:873; TA1965:723-5. Take
KUNKŌ incense, fragrance as ‘heavy’, and 8 ‘burn’.
KUNzuru be/make fragrant
KUNPŪ fragrant breeze Mnemonic: BURNING PLANTS GIVE OUT A

HEAVY FRAGRANCE

刑1256 KEI it may represent handcuffs. Over time, be-
L1 punish(ment) came modified to 开, resulting in . Scholars
tend to agree there was originally just one
6 strokes underlying word in early Chinese, which later
came to be distinguished in script as and
SHOKEI punishment
SHIKEI death penalty . Note: Shuowen treats and separately,
KEIJI detective, penal case defining former as ‘punish criminal’, and latter
as ‘cut off head with sword’, but Kangxi zidian
Bronze ; seal . Has 198 ‘knife’, in treats as just a variant of . Mizukami lists
bronze with (or some cases ), generally these two graphs separately, but notes them as
taken as some kind of framework – whether being essentially the same. DJ2009:v2:417,367;
as i] an enclosure such as a cage for confining ZY2009:v1:65; MS1995:v1:124-5; SS1984:226-7;
prisoners, or as ii] a framework or mold for TA1965:501-03; AS2007:540. Suggest taking 开
making items as in 493 ‘mold, model’. The as neck-brace.
overall sense is taken as ‘inflict wound with
knife/punish, and confine within enclosure’ Mnemonic: PUNISHMENT INVOLVES NECK-
(Mizukami); Shirakawa suggests originally
represented a neck-brace, and Tōdō suggests BRACE AND KNIFE!

茎1257 KEI, kuki Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
L1 stalk, stem Has 53 ‘plant’, and CO 287 (‘threads
stretched on loom’) as phonetic with associ-
8 strokes ated sense ‘straight’ > ‘straight part of plant’,
i.e. ‘stalk/stem’. OT1968:848; KJ1970:156;
KYŪKEI bulb MS1995:v1:424-7. Use 2003 ‘hand’, 64 ‘soil’.
CHIKAKEI root stock
haguki the gums Mnemonic: HAND TAKES PLANT STEM FROM

THE SOIL

契1258 KEI, chigiru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has /
L1 pledge, vow ‘make marks/notches ( ) with knife’ 198,
by extension ‘make marks for record’, and 56
9 strokes ‘big’, giving ‘make important record/tally/agree-
ment/pledge’. GY2008:215,771; AS2007:423;
KEIYAKU contract BK1957:86-7; KJ1970:318-9.
KEIKI opportunity
KEIIN joint seal Mnemonic: KNIFE CARVES BIG NOTCHES AS

RECORD OF PLEDGE

The Remaining 1130 Characters 373

恵1259 KEI, E, megumu/mi as phonetic with associated sense ‘give char-
L1 blessing, favor, ity, bestow’, thus ‘give (food, etc.) to others’.
Another analysis takes 叀 as phonetic with
kindness associated sense ‘round, surround’, thus ‘a heart
which embraces feelings of others’ (Tōdō).
10 strokes GY2008:578; MS1995:v1:514-5; KJ1970:352-3;
TA1965:712-5. Take upper part as 35 ‘ten’ and
KEIYO bestowal
CHIE wisdom 63 ‘fields’.
megumibukai benevolent

Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Has 164 Mnemonic: KIND-HEARTED PERSON BLESSED
‘heart/mind’, and 叀 (‘spindle’ [orig. pictograph]) WITH TEN FIELDS

啓1260 KEI 2003 ‘hand’, in some cases combining with
L1 open, enlighten just 120 ‘door’ to give ‘open a door’, taken as
simplest early form of . Most OBI occurrences
11 strokes add 22 ‘opening’, ‘entrance’, thus ‘open door
with hand’ (Mizukami). Ogawa, though, takes
KEIHATSU enlightenment
KEIJI revelation as having associated sense ‘teach’ to give
HEIKEI Dear Sir/Madam figurative meaning ‘teach and enlighten others’;
this corresponds to the extended sense. Note:
OBI ; bronze ; seal . One view has / 启 has / ‘door’, with ‘mouth, opening’
‘hand holding stick’ 112, with 启 as phonetic as phonetic with associated sense ‘open’, thus
with associated sense ‘open’, thus ‘cause to ‘open verbally/by hand’ (Mizukami). KJ1970:348;
open; open’ (Katō); this seems based only on MS1995:v1;232-3,218-9; OT1968:184.
certain bronze and the seal forms, but not
OBI equivalents. None of the OBI equivalents Mnemonic: OPENING DOORS IS A WAY TO
for (as listed by Mizukami) has ; all have
ENLIGHTENMENT

掲1261 KEI, kakageru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’,
L1 hoist, display, print and (see 1048) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense ‘hold up high in hand, thus ‘hold
11 strokes up high’. ‘Display, print’ are extended senses.
KJ1970:904; TA1965:583-7; OT1968:417. Take
KEIJIBAN notice board 66 ‘sun’, sitting person, and cover.
ZENKEI aforementioned
KEIYŌ hoisting Mnemonic: MAN SITS UNDER HOISTED

COVER FROM SUN, DISPLAYING HAND

渓1262 KEI, tani Seal ( ) ; a late post-Shuowen graph; tradi-
L1 valley, gorge tional . Traditional form has 42 ‘water’,
with (originally, ‘bound slave’: see Note
11 strokes below) as phonetic with associated sense
‘caught, entangled’, taken in one view as giving
KEIKOKU valley, gorge ‘mountain stream with (seemingly) no way
SEKKEI snowy valley out’, and by extension ‘twisting and turning
KEIRYŪ mountain stream mountain stream’ (Ogawa). Gu, in contrast,
takes ‘mountain valley/gully’ as the original

374 The Remaining 1130 Characters

meaning, and ‘mountain stream’ as an extended with 56 ‘big’ (here, ‘person’), giving ‘person
sense on the basis that most such gullies have bound with rope’, i.e. ‘(one type of ) slave’ (Gu).
water running through them. The seal form OT1968:585; GY2008:1656,1091; QX2000:264;
MS1995:v1:304-05; AS2007:526. We suggest
(CO ) ‘valley; mountain stream’ is treated taking as ‘man’ 601.
separately from in Shuowen, but Kangxi
zidian treats both as being the same. Note: Mnemonic: MAN PLUCKED BY CLAWS FROM
is made up of 1739 ‘claw’ – sometimes, as
here, ‘hand’ – with 29 ‘thread’ (here, ‘rope’), WATER IN VALLEY

蛍1263 KEI, hotaru of ‘flicker’ (Schuessler says ‘light of a lamp/
L1 firefly fire’), but cautions against taking as al-
ways functioning as an abbreviation of in
11 strokes later stages of the script. A similar view takes

KEIKŌ fluorescence (bronze form) as ‘crossed pine torches’,
KEISETSU studying giving ‘insect which flies and emits light’
hotarugari catching fireflies (Shirakawa). Alternatively, the top part of the
bronze predecessor of is taken as repre-
Bronze ( ). Not in Shuowen. Traditional senting flames or light of fire, but the graph
form: . Clearly there is 60 ‘insect’, but as a whole is interpreted as the predecessor
views diverge concerning in this graph. of (Katō). QX2000:237,239; AS2007:575;
According to Qiu there is a bronze form SS1984:233-4; KJ1970:79-80. Suggest taking
equivalent to which once functioned as top element as ‘ornate cover’, and three short
an independent graph, and originally de- strokes as flames.
picted burning torches, and this does seem
a reasonable interpretation of the bronze Mnemonic: A FIREFLY IS AN INSECT
shape. Qiu regards as the ancestral form
ORNATELY COVERED WITH ‘FLAMES’

傾1264 KEI, katamuku/keru ‘time, period’; see 1356. Note 2: is taken
L2 incline, dedicate by Mizukami and Katō as originally showing
a bent, withered leg, and based on shape by
13 strokes extension ‘ladle’. Ogawa, though, takes ‘ladle’
as orig. meaning, and Gu takes as ‘woman
KEIKŌ tendency kneeling submissively’, while Katō considers
KEITŌ devotion
KEISHADO gradient in / as having only a phonetic role
with associated sense ‘not straight’, and by
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Originally extension ‘lame’, and that the Shuowen ex-
written (see Note below), with 103 planation should be seen as ‘head’ represent-
‘head’, and (originally, pictograph of ing ‘body’, thus giving ‘bent body’, but this
person with bent, withered leg; by exten- seems debatable. See also Appendix for
sion, ‘bent’) as semantic and phonetic, contrasting with 匕 (‘change’). TA1965:504-
usually taken as giving ‘incline the head’; 9; GY2008:602,1074,11; MS1995:v1:154-5;
later generalized to ‘incline/lean’. By seal OT1968:77,132; KJ1970:357,796; AS2007:432.
stage, when was also being borrowed to Suggest association with ‘change’ 258 in
represent several other words, ‘person’ 41 its original sense ‘fallen person’.
was added to more clearly indicate ‘lean/in-
cline’, thus . ‘Dedication’ is minor extended Mnemonic: FALLEN BENT PERSON CHANGES
sense. Note 1: is now used to write koro
INCLINATION OF HEAD

The Remaining 1130 Characters 375

携1265 KEI, tazusawaru/eru ‘sprouting plant’); the lower element rep-
L1 carry, participate resents a graphic merging of what in earlier
stages of the script was written two different
13 strokes ways, one being a pictograph of a window,
the other seen as buttocks and anus/vagina.
KEITAI- portable In the graph 雟 under discussion here, Katō
RENKEI in concert with takes as representing, basically, buttocks
TEIKEI cooperation, link and anus (see 333), and by extension – with
regard to a bird – as ‘tail-end’, with tail feath-
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional ers fanning out (noting the shape in ),
. Has 34 ‘hand’ and 雟 (type of bird; thus ‘swallow’; Ogawa also takes as ‘swallow’.
‘Participate’ derives from having one’s hands
see Note below) as phonetic with associ- occupied, suggesting getting involved.
ated sense ‘let hang down’ (Ogawa says ‘link, MS1995:v1:254-5,234-5; KJ1970:349-50;
keep [on rope’ etc.]’), thus ‘hang down from/ TA1965:504-8; OT1968:425,1081. Take as
carry in the hands’. , a popular histori- plump buttocks.
cal abbreviated form of 雟, now has official
status. Note: 雟 is treated by Katō as made Mnemonic: CARRY PLUMP-BUTTOCKED BIRD
by 324 ‘bird’, with top element taken not
as 26 ‘mountain/hill’ but as similar-shaped IN HAND

, representing cranial feathers (not as

継1266 KEI, tsugu, mama- as follows: i] a horizontal line midway, and
L1 inherit, follow, ii] two short lines bottom right. Katō takes i]
join, step-, patch to signify joined threads, and seems to take
ii] to show repetition. Shirakawa, however,
13 strokes takes (facing right, as here) as ‘cut threads’,
as does Gu. Seal form likewise has 29
KEIZOKU continuation ‘thread’ added as determinative, giving ‘join
mamako stepchild threads’. By extension ‘follow, patch, inherit’.
tsugitashi extension MS1995:v2:1026-7; KJ1970:346; OT1968:779;
SS1984:236; GY2008:1173,1311. Take as
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Originally 220 ‘rice’ in corner.
written . Bronze form shows several short
lengths of thread (or skeins), with other Mnemonic: FOLLOW JOINED THREADS TO
components, which some scholars make no
comment on. These other components are INHERIT RICE IN CORNER

詣1267 KEI, mōde, mairi Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 118
L1 visit to temple/shrine ‘words/speak’, and 1401 (‘gist’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘go to, arrive’ at important
13 strokes place such as Court, thus ‘visit respectfully’;
Shirakawa takes as ‘worship deities’. In Japa-
SANKEI shrine/temple visit nese, more used in sense ‘visit a shrine/temple’.
hatsumōde New Year shrine visit GY2008:737-8,303,11; SS1984:236; KJ1970:796.
ZŌKEI learning, attainments Take as sitting person, as ‘day’ 66.

Mnemonic: PERSON SITS SPEAKING ALL DAY

IN SHRINE/TEMPLE VISIT

376 The Remaining 1130 Characters

慶1268 KEI, yorokobu receive delicious food/hospitality’, thus ‘joy’
L1 joy, rejoice, at receiving this; generalized to just ‘joy’. One
congratulate view identifies lower part as , one of several
graphs meaning ‘foot’ (see Appendix), but Qiu
15 strokes maintains this is based on a corrupted seal form
rather than earlier bronze forms. KJ1970:768-9;
KEIŌDAI Keiō University MS1995:v1:522-3; QX2000:213-4; OT1968:331.
KEIJI happy event Difficult, but take in association with 441
KEICHŌ good omen ‘love’, and 127 ‘building’.

Bronze ; seal . Has 164 ‘heart, mind’, Mnemonic: ODD FORM OF LOVE IN THAT
and 廌 (mythical beast said to resemble stag) as
BUILDING, BUT REJOICE ANYWAY
phonetic with associated sense ‘delicious food,

憬1269 KEI, akogare/reru it. Shuowen gives meaning as ‘perceive, be
L1 yearn, aspire, admire, aware’, but Shirakawa maintains there are no
be aware examples of use in this sense in early texts, only
in the sense ‘be far away’ (Schuessler). Basis
15 strokes for ‘adore, yearn’ (Japanese only) is unclear.

DŌKEI/SHŌKEI aspiration occurs in only one compound, as above.
akogare yearning GY2008:1846; SS1984:239; OT1968:387. Sug-
akogareru admire, long for gest taking literally as 66 ‘sun’ and 110
‘capital’.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164 ‘heart,
mind’, and 494 (‘scene’; ‘bright’) as phonetic. Mnemonic: MY HEART YEARNS TO SEE THE
Difficult to analyze, and scholars seem to avoid
SUN OVER THE CAPITAL

稽1270 KIN is attributed by Shirakawa to , based on an
L1 consider, stop, reach, interpretation as ‘tree with tip bent over’, with

bow low taken as ‘dog sacrifice’ (Shirakawa takes OBI
form of as depicting an [unspecified] type
15 strokes of animal, presumably dog 19), and 1401
‘gist, tasty’ as the original writing for 1267 ‘re-
KEIKO training, practice spectfully visit’; Shirakawa then takes the overall
shitaGEIKO rehearsal original meaning of as ‘dog sacrifice ritual’,
KOKKEI na comical with the deity who is revered believed to come
down to the venue of the ritual, thereby giving
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Interpretations ‘reach’ as an extended sense. Presumably, by
vary, and can become quite confusing. One this explanation, ‘bow low’ is an extended sense
interpretation takes the graph as ‘tree with too, and possibly also related to the ritual, along
tip bent over’, with NJK (‘grow old, senility’; with ‘consideration’. At some point the tree with
in this analysis, the element (orig. ‘blame’) in the tip bending right (whereas the regular way
for the grain plant determinative is slop-
is regarded as a miscopying of the element ing down further to left) acquired the regular
[an abbreviation of ‘grow old’ 638]) as slope to the left. KJ1970:356-7; OT1968:736;
a phonetic likewise with an associated sense MS1995:v1:402-3; SS1984:239-40,832. We sug-
‘tree with tip bent over’, giving ‘tree with tip gest taking 87 as ‘grain plant’, as 19
bent over’ (Katō); ‘consider’ is presumably to be ‘dog’ with bent leg, as man sitting, and as
treated as a loan usage. There are several other ‘sun’ 66.
analyses. One of these looks to analyze as ,
with CO as phonetic with associated sense Mnemonic: MAN SITS IN GRAIN PLANTS IN
‘be caught/entangled’, giving ‘detain’ (Ogawa). In
this analysis, ‘plan, consider’ is again presumably SUN CONSIDERING BENT-LEGGED DOG
loan usage. Alternatively, a ritualistic meaning

The Remaining 1130 Characters 377

憩1271 KEI, ikou similar in shape are considered to exist (Gu,
L1 rest, relax Mizukami). Another commentator gives a dif-
ferent analysis, taking as ‘rest, repose’,
16 strokes with as the phonetic with associated
sense ‘stop’, thus likewise giving ‘stop and
KYŪKEI rest, recess rest’ as the overall meaning (Ogawa). Note:
SHŌKEI brief rest , which in one view serves here just as
ikoi rest, ‘spell’ phonetic, itself comprises 22 ‘mouth’, with
not 522, but a different element (meaning
Seal ; a late, post-Shuowen graph. Has knife for carving) as phonetic with associated
351 ‘rest, repose’, and , which here appears sense ‘close, block’, hence ‘close the mouth’
to have been originally not 755 ‘tongue’, (Mizukami). KJ1970:358; MS1995:v1:216-
but an element (CO; ‘close the mouth; by 7,v2:724-5,1096-7; OT1968:387. We suggest
extension, ‘prevent’) as phonetic with associ- taking as ‘tongue’, and also break down
ated sense ‘stop’, giving ‘stop and rest’. The
explanation regarding substitution of for into components 150 ‘self/nose’, and
appears to be that confusion arose at the 164 ‘heart’.
graphic level between the two at an early
juncture (possibly pre-seal stage); variant Mnemonic: HEART, TONGUE AND ONE’S
forms for these two which are roughly
NOSE ALL TAKE A REST

鶏1272 KEI, niwatori which is kept on a rope, thus giving ‘chicken
L1 chicken, hen, cock fowl’ (noted by Mizukami), or iii] ‘warn’, giving
‘bird which lets humans know of the arrival
19 strokes of dawn’ (noted by Mizukami). Alternatively,

KEIRAN hen’s egg is treated as being purely onomatopoeic
KEISHA hen-house in function, giving ‘bird which makes sound
KEIMEI cockcrow like (early Chinese) “ke”’ (noted by Mizukami,
and also followed by Schuessler). KJ1970:345;
OBI ; seal ; traditional . Has 190 ‘bird’ MS1995:v2:1412-3; AS2007:292. We suggest
(or in some cases with 324 ‘short-tailed taking 1739 ‘claw/talon’, and as ‘man’
bird, bird’ instead, as in the Shuowen seal ver- 601.
sion), and (‘bound slave’; see 1262) as pho-
netic with associated sense taken variously Mnemonic: BIRD SEIZING MAN IN ITS TALONS
as i] ‘topknot’, giving ‘bird with crest feathers’
(Katō), or ii] ‘join up, connect’, giving ‘bird IS A CHICKEN!?

迎1273 GEI, mukaeru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 85
L2 greet, welcome, meet ‘walk, go’, and 1229 ‘look up at (originally,
towards a person of higher status)’; the latter
7 strokes element is taken in one view as semantic and
phonetic, giving overall meaning ‘go to greet’
KANGEIKAI reception (Ogawa), an interpretation which in broad
GEIGŌ ingratiation terms is similar to that of another commentator
mukaezake ‘hair of dog’ (Shirakawa). OT1968:994; SS1984:243.

Mnemonic: BOWING PERSON GOES TO GREET

ANOTHER BOWING PERSON

378 The Remaining 1130 Characters

鯨1274 GEI, kujira Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). No Shuowen
L1 whale entry heading, but noted as variant of 䲔; later,

19 strokes was adopted as standard form (listed as
such in Zhengzitong). 109 ‘fish’, with 110
GEIYU whale oil (‘capital’) as phonetic with associated sense
HOGEI whaling ‘big’, giving ‘big fish’, thus ‘whale’. Noted in
yamakujira wild boar meat Yupian as ‘king among fish’. OT1968:1145;
SS1984:244-5; GY2008:1899; ZZ1671:v2:1425

Mnemonic: THE WHALE IS A CAPITAL ‘FISH’

隙1275 GEKI, suki, hima 1907, which is normally ‘hill, terraced slopes’,
L1 opening, gap, space, but by way of exception is taken in this graph
to mean ‘wall undulations’ or similar (Gu,
crack Ogawa), again meaning ‘wall cracks/gaps’ and
generalized to ‘gaps’. Note: Mizukami asserts
13 strokes that based on some early equivalents (bronze)
should, strictly speaking, have been
sukima crevice, opening rendered into block script with top element
KŪGEKI gap, opening as 160 (‘few’), not . MS1995:v1:398-401;
temahima labor and time GY2008:1524; OT1968:1073.

Bronze ( ); seal ( ). Bronze has 66 Mnemonic: SPACES IN THE TERRACES GET
‘sun’, and 38 ‘small’ above and below, thus
‘sunlight coming through small cracks/gaps’; DOUBLY LITTLE SUN
by extension ‘gaps’ (Mizukami; see also Note
below). To this, the seal form adds

撃1276 GEKI, utsu Katō). Tōdō, alternatively, takes as having a
L1 strike, attack, hit, fire semantic role (‘wheel hits against axle securing-
pin’), combining with to give ‘hit with hand’,
(gun) a view shared by Ogawa. Note: the above
meaning for 毄 is based on Katō’s analysis; the
15 strokes
shape beneath 33 ‘vehicle’ represents
SOGEKI sniping the housing for the axle, and 170 ‘strike’
KŌGEKI attack signifies the friction between axle and hous-
mekurauchi random firing ing. GY2008:131-2; KJ1970:350; TA1965:500;
OT1968:426.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional
. One view has 34 ‘hand’, and 毄 (‘car- Mnemonic: ATTACK VEHICLE BY STRIKING

riage axle grates in its housing’) or its variant WITH HAND
form as phonetic with associated sense ‘hit,

strike’, giving overall meaning ‘hit, strike’ (Gu,

桁1277 keta, KŌ with associated sense taken as either i] ‘side’
L1 digit, beam, spar (Ogawa), or ii] ‘lined up in a column/row’ (Shi-
rakawa), in either sense giving overall meaning
10 strokes ‘crossbeam, purlin’. Japanese usage only has
‘column, rod (on abacus)’ as extended sense,
futaketa double-digit and ‘number/digit’ as a further extension.
ketahazure extraordinary OT1968:504; GY2008:1006; SS1984:301.
IKŌ clothes horse
Mnemonic: GO TO FIND A NUMBER OF
Seal ; late graph (Yupian). Has 73 ‘wood, WOODEN BEAMS
tree’, and 131 (‘go; column’) as phonetic
The Remaining 1130 Characters 379

傑1278 KETSU, sugureru with associated sense ‘get out of, emerge’,
L1 outstanding giving ‘person who is high above/surpasses
others’. Note: comprises 336 (orig, feet
13 strokes pointing both ways), with 73 ‘wood’, tree’,
here denoting a platform or rack. KJ1970:366;
KESSAKU masterpiece MS1995:v1:664-6; OT1968:78,836. Take as
KESSHUTSU suru excel
KETSUJIN outstanding person 46 ‘evening’ and variant ‘well’ 1575.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 Mnemonic: OUTSTANDING PERSON BUILDS
‘person’, and CO (‘raised rack [to attach
bound criminals to for display]’) as phonetic ODD WOODEN WELL IN EVENING

肩1279 KEN, kata Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 209
L2 shoulder ‘flesh, body’, and , not 120 ‘door’ here
but regularization of similar element in the
8 strokes seal form depicting the shoulder (or shoulder
joint) and upper arm. KJ1970:372; OT1968:816;
HIKEN rank alongside SS1984:255. Mnemonically, take as ‘door’.
katagaki title, degree
katakake shawl Mnemonic: USE FLESHY SHOULDER AGAINST DOOR

倹1280 KEN with CO ‘contest a lawsuit; disagree’; Katō
L1 thrifty, frugal differs somewhat regarding identification of
the latter element, but still agrees broadly
10 strokes on meaning. itself is made up of CO
‘disagree’, with CO ‘follow’ etc. here taken
KEN’YAKU frugality literally as ‘two people’. The modern form has
SEKKEN frugality a commonly seen abbreviated right-hand
KINKEN thrift shape. KJ1970:375; OT1968:69; TA1965:1846;
GY2008:462,260. Take 㑒 as 亼 cover, and
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional ‘center’ 254.
. Has 41 ‘person’, and CO 僉 (‘bring
Mnemonic: FRUGAL MAN COVERS ONLY
together those who disagree’) as phonetic
CENTRAL THINGS
with associated sense ‘draw tight, be frugal’

(Ogawa, Katō), thus ‘frugal person’. Note: in
one view (Gu), 僉 consists of 亼 ‘lid; join’,

兼1281 KEN, -kaneru verb meaning ‘combine’ (Old Japanese kanu).
L1 combine, cannot do Once the graph was established as a way
of writing kanu ‘combine’, it was borrowed as
10 strokes a convenient way of writing the separate but
homophonous verbal suffix ‘-kanu’ meaning
KENGYŌ side business ‘cannot bear doing’, and later ‘refrain from do-
KEN’YŌ dual purpose ing, unable to do’. Due to changes over time,
shikaneru cannot do -kanu ‘cannot do’ became kaneru, as in the
modern language. KJ1970:386; GY2008:1124;
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Bronze and OT1968:99; JD1967:205.
seal forms show hand holding two grain stalks,
giving extended sense ‘put together, combine’. Mnemonic: HAND UNABLE TO HOLD
Use of in the sense ‘unable (to do)’ represents
Japanese-only usage. Origins of this usage COMBINED RICE PLANTS
go back to use of to represent a Japanese

380 The Remaining 1130 Characters

剣1282 KEN, tsurugi 198 ‘knife, sword, blade’ for . In turn, the
L2 sword, bayonet alternative traditional forms and have
variants of 1549 ‘blade’ in place of . Variant
10 strokes shapes are a very common characteristic of
the Chinese script as used over the centuries
KENDŌ kendo in both China and Japan (see Introduction),
KENBU sword dance though not so prominent today on account of
TANKEN dagger, dirk script reforms that have taken place in modern
times. The range of earlier forms for is prob-
Bronze ( ); seal ; traditional forms , , ably a reflection of the importance of the sword
. This graph occurs in a variety of shapes, as a weapon in pre-modern China and Japan.
MS1995:v1:136-7; OT1968:118,110; TA1965:847-
reflecting a range of constituent elements. The 8; SS1984:257. As with 1280, we suggest taking
bronze form given here consists of 16 ‘metal’, 㑒 as 亼 cover, and as 254 ‘center’.
with 僉 (see 1280) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘pointed, sharp’, giving ‘sharp pointed Mnemonic: TAKE COVER OFF SWORD-LIKE
weapon for stabbing’, a definition which might
suggest ‘dagger’, but also encompasses ‘sword’, BAYONET AND AIM FOR CENTER
which became the predominant meaning. The
seal form also has 僉, but substitutes /

拳1283 KEN, GEN, kobushi could instead be regarded as semantic and
L1 fist phonetic) with associated sense ‘lift up’, giving
‘lift up high, raise’. Meanings such as ‘perform’
10 strokes and ‘together’ are extended senses. The mod-
ern form has , which is just an abbreviation
KENJŪ hand gun, pistol in shape and not to be taken as meaning
TEKKEN clenched fist ‘handle rice’ such as in 688. KJ1970:268;
KENTŌ boxing OT1968:411,835; MS1995:v1:562-3,v2:1359-61.
As with 688 we suggest taking as ‘two’
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Has 34 65 and ‘fires’ 8.
‘hand’, and (originally, depiction of two
people raising their hands together to lift up Mnemonic: MAN CLENCHES HANDS INTO
an object; traditional form of 2047 ‘give’),
generally treated here as phonetic (though FISTS AS TWO FIRES RAGE

軒1284 KEN, noki tended to other things which project, such
L2 eaves, house-counter as eaves (Ogawa). Another analysis treats
as phonetic with associated sense ‘put/rise
10 strokes high up’, giving carriage shafts which curve up
high (Tōdō); Tōdō notes that from Han times
IKKEN one house onwards was used mainly to mean ‘eaves’.
KENTŌ porch light Alternatively, this graph is taken to refer
nokisaki frontage originally to a covered carriage used by those
of higher status (Gu); presumably the cover
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 33 projected over. OT1968:981; TA1965:583-8;
‘vehicle’, and 840 (originally, type of forked GY2008:413.
weapon; now ‘dry’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense taken in one analysis as ‘stick out, Mnemonic: VEHICLE KEPT DRY UNDER EAVES
project’, giving ‘cart/carriage with projecting
shafts’, with the semantic range being ex-

The Remaining 1130 Characters 381

圏1285 KEN and (traditional form of 841 ‘roll; bind’) as
L1 zone, sphere, range semantic and phonetic, giving ‘round enclo-
sure’ in one interpretation (Ogawa, Shirakawa,
12 strokes Gu). One scholar, though, looks to take as
phonetic with associated sense ‘block, obstruct’,
SEISŌKEN stratosphere giving ‘enclosure which blocks exit on all sides’
KENGAI outside bounds (Katō). OT1968:207; SS1984:260; GY2008:1251.
BŌFŪKEN storm zone

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional . Mnemonic: ROLL AROUND WITHIN
Typically taken as consisting of 84 ‘enclosure’, ENCLOSED ZONE

堅1286 KEN, katai Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 64
L1 firm, solid, hard ‘earth, ground’, and NJK 臤 ‘hard’ 1237 (q.v. for
etymology, but originally 2003 ‘hand’ and
12 strokes 543 ‘eye’) as semantic and phonetic, giving ‘hard
ground’; later generalized to ‘hard’. KJ1970:131-
KENJITSU na steadfast 2; OT1968:220; SS1984:260.
KENGO na firm, solid
CHŪKEN mainstay Mnemonic: HAND THROWS HARD EARTH AT

STARING EYE

嫌1287 KEN, GEN, kirai, iya maintained, no doubt to avoid confusion with
L1 dislike(d), hate(d), 1281. There are quite a number of extended or
associated meanings, such as ‘disinclination’,
distasteful ‘unpleasant’, ‘hatred’, ‘offensive’, ‘repugnant’ and
also ‘prejudice’ and so forth – basically a wide
13 strokes range of negative feelings. In Chinese it can
also mean ‘jealousy’ and ‘suspicion’, strongly
KEN’O loathing suggesting that – certainly in earlier times – the
DAIkirai hateful cause of the female’s dissatisfaction involved
iyaMI offensive her husband and another woman. TA1965:866;
SS1984:261; OT1968:261.
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional
form has as right-hand element. Has Mnemonic: CANNOT COMBINE WOMEN –
37 ‘woman’, and 1281 (‘combine’, ‘cannot
do’) as a phonetic with an associated sense THAT IS DISTASTEFUL
‘dissatisfied’, thus giving ‘woman dissatisfied’.
Later, the ‘woman’ component of the meaning Or: WOMAN DISLIKES BEING COMBINED
was dispensed with, the result being that it
was generalized to ‘dissatisfied; dislike’, but the WITH ANOTHER
female component of the graph itself was still

献1288 KEN, KON OBI ; bronze ; seal ; traditional .
L1 dedicate, present The OBI form has 19 ’dog’, with a second
element which is taken to be a cauldron or
13 strokes cooking pot, corresponding to the later
(see 1120), and signifying ‘(meat of ) dog as
KENJŌ presentation, gift sacrifice to the deities’. At the seal stage, this
KONdate menu second element had a further component
KENSHIN dedication added which is interpreted as ‘tiger’ ( 297,
an abbreviated component based on the
pictograph of a tiger [1301], representing only

382 The Remaining 1130 Characters

the head), serving in one view (Gu) as pho- ern form has ‘south’ 208 as the left-hand
netic; other scholars, however, take not just component. GY2008:1555; MS1995:v2:846-7;
KJ1970:373; OT1968:645.
but the whole complex element as the
phonetic, with associated sense ‘raise up high’, Mnemonic: SOUTHERN DOG IS DEDICATED
likewise giving the meaning ‘offer meat of
dog as sacrifice’. Subsequently, the sense was Or: DEDICATED SOUTHERN DOG IS GIVEN
generalized to ‘offer up, present’. The mod- AS PRESENT

遣1289 KEN, tsukau, yaru borrowed for the separate but homophonous
L1 send, use, do, give honorific form tsukawasu meaning ‘use’ (strictly
speaking, the Old Japanese equivalents of
13 strokes these two verbs, but the principle involved still
holds). Similarly, the meaning ‘do’ associated
HAKEN dispatch with may derive from the fact that the verb
kozukai pocket money yaru in Old Japanese meant ‘send, dispatch’, but
yarinaosu re-do later there evolved yaru meaning ‘do’, as in the
modern language. Note: is interpreted in
Seal . Has 85 ‘go, move’, and (see Note one analysis as depicting hands putting a bow
below) as phonetic with associated sense taken into a grave pit, as part of a funerary ritual (Gu),
as i] ‘continue on’ (though possibly with a se- or alternatively as depicting accumulated pos-
mantic function also), giving ‘person continues sessions piled up (Tōdō) / clods of earth made
walking after another’, i.e. ‘follow’ (Katō), or ii] round with the hands into a mound (Katō).
‘take just one part of something accumulated, KJ1970:382-3; MS1995:v2:1302-4; AS2007:425;
and send/move somewhere else’ (Tōdō). ‘Send TA1965:606; JD1967:459; OT1968:1011. As with
away, dispatch’ may be seen as an extended
sense. The meaning ‘give’ is also probably an 847, we suggest taking upper right hand
extended sense, deriving from the offering of part as ‘odd insect’ ( 60 ‘insect’), and sug-
items in funerary ritual (Schuessler). Ogawa gest lower right as buttocks.
notes ‘use’ as a Japanese-only usage, and this
may be based on having been employed Mnemonic: DO SEND ME THAT ODD INSECT
to represent the Japanese verb tsukawasu
meaning ‘send, dispatch’, and then being WITH MOVING BUTTOCKS

賢1290 KEN, kashikoi sociated sense ‘numerous’, thus ‘give numer-
L2 wise ous/plentiful valuables to others’ (Katō, Gu;
the latter interpretation, according to Katō, is
16 strokes based on a passage attributed to Zhuangzi).
The meaning ‘wisdom/wise’ comes from a
KENJA a sage change from material wealth to wealth of
KENMEI wisdom knowledge (Katō). OT1968:961; SS1984;264;
kashikoidate feigned wisdom KJ1970:133-4; GY2008:611. Take 臤 as its
components 2003 ‘hand’ and staring eye
Bronze ; seal . Has 10 ‘shell, shell cur-
rency, valuables’, and 臤 1237 ‘hard’ (q.v. for 543 ‘retainer’.

etymology), taken in one analysis as seman- Mnemonic: WISE RETAINER STARES HARD AT

tic and phonetic, to give original meaning SHELL-MONEY IN HAND

‘hard, good quality shell’ (Ogawa, Shirakawa).
Alternatively, 臤 is taken as phonetic with as-

The Remaining 1130 Characters 383

謙1291 KEN, herikudaru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional
L2 humble, modest form has . Has 118 ‘words; speak’, and
1281 ‘combine’/ ‘cannot’ (q.v.) as phonetic with
17 strokes associated sense ‘cave in’, giving ‘give up one’s
own intention, concede’, and hence ‘be humble,
KENSON humility modest’. OT1968:940; TA1965:863-6.
KENKYO modesty
KENJŌ humility Mnemonic: COMBINE WORDS IN HUMBLE

FASHION

鍵1292 KEN, kagi Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 16
L1 key, lock ‘metal’, and 498 (‘build, erect’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘bind’, giving ‘wedge to
17 strokes stop a cart/carriage’. Regarding the later mean-
ing ‘lock’, Shirakawa considers this to derive
kagikko latchkey child from an intermediate stage involving use of the
KENBAN keyboard graph to denote ‘door/gate bolt’ (otherwise
kagiana keyhole written ), the sense then being extended
to ‘lock’ and ‘key’. SS1984:265; OT1968:1047;
AS2007:305.

Mnemonic: A BUILDING SHOULD HAVE

METAL KEY-LOCKS

繭1293 KEN, mayu balanced made by insects with thread’, i.e.
L1 cocoon ‘cocoon’. Note: has top element for ram’s
horns, with two sides balanced, with 30
18 strokes (roof, covering) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘symmetrical’ (Katō). KJ1970:199-200;
KENCHŪ pongee OT1968:791; MS1995:v2:1024-5. Take modern
ōmayu double cocoon form for top element as 53 ‘grass’, and as
karamayu waste cocoon double-chambered cocoon.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional 繭. Mnemonic: INSECT THREADS DOUBLE
Has 29 ‘thread’, and 60 ‘insect’, with CO
COCOON UNDER GRASS
(‘symmetry of ram’s horns’) as phonetic with
associated sense ‘balanced’, giving ‘something

顕1294 KEN, arawareru Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Interpreta-
L1 manifest, visible tions differ. Scholars typically take bronze
forms as including 103 ‘head’. The left
18 strokes element, CO 㬎 ‘bright; appear’ (see Note 2
below), is usually interpreted as phonetic in ,
KENCHO na noticeable with associated sense taken as i] ‘shine’, giving
KEN’YŌ prominence ‘beautiful decoration worn on the head’, and
KENBIKYŌ microscope by extension ‘shine brightly’ (Ogawa), or ii]
‘bend’, giving ‘bent-over body’ (Katō) (‘appear,

384 The Remaining 1130 Characters

visible’ is presumably a loan usage for Katō). as ‘silk thread drying in the sun’ (Gu), another
Note 1: there is a minority view that takes the treats as ‘silk thread’, standing here for ‘silk
right-hand element in as 20 ‘see’ instead floss’, with ‘sun’ as phonetic with associated
(or, the shape is accepted, but taken here sense ‘tangled’, giving ‘small cocoons left in silk
to mean ‘look at’); this view is not so well floss’ (Katō). In the latter interpretation, ‘small’
supported, though, by the occurrent bronze may be taken from the Shuowen definition
shapes for . Note 2: the graph 㬎 itself – of 㬎 as ‘many small things’. OT1968:1106;
taken by Ogawa as the original way of writing KJ1970:380-81; MS1995:v2:1450-51,1440-
41,v1:624-5; GY2008:840-41; ZY2009:v2:541.
, though Mizukami disagrees – is interpreted We suggest taking 业 as ‘odd’ variant of 977
in different ways. It is generally agreed that the ‘line up’.
components are ‘sun’ 66 and (‘silk thread’;
the bottom strokes in 㬎 are an abbreviation Mnemonic: ODD LINE-UP OF HEADS VISIBLE
deriving from , and not to be confused with
fire / 8), but while one analysis takes 㬎 IN THE SUN

懸1295 KEN, KE, kakaru/keru and warning, but was borrowed to write a
L1 attach, worry near-homophone meaning ‘feel anxious’. Lat-
er, however, was borrowed again to write
20 strokes another word meaning ‘county, administrative
district’. Later, 164 ‘heart, mind’ was added
KENMEI eagerness to create the new graph 1295 as a means
KENEN anxiety of distinguishing in writing the word mean-
inochigake perilous ing ‘feel anxious’. OT1968:391; QX2000:330;
AS2007:546. Take 855 ‘connection’.
Late, post-Shuowen graph; bronze form (
[same as traditional form of 291 ‘prefec- Mnemonic: HEART CONNECTED TO
ture’]) ; seal form ( ) . Bronze form of
(original meaning: ‘suspend’) depicts a head PREFECTURE – SUCH ATTACHMENT IS A WORRY
hung upside down from a tree as punishment

幻1296 GEN, maboroshi tion, based on comparison of the seal form
L1 illusion, magic of with that for , and this appears to be
the view of Ogawa, who takes the original
4 strokes meaning as ‘bring out colors in woven fabric’,
and by extension ‘change’. Mizukami lists two
GENSŌ illusion alternative meanings: i] ‘push back weaving
GENZŌ phantom shuttle with left hand’, and ii] ‘ends of fine/
GENJUTSU magic short thread ( 29) move indistinctly and are
hard to see’. The latter interpretation leads to
Bronze ; seal . One view takes this as a extended meanings such as ‘change, deceive,
depiction of a weaving shuttle reversed ( illusion’. KJ1970:378-9; MS1995:v1:448-9,26-7;
425; later written [NJK]), and links the OT1968:324; AS2007:284-5,576. We suggest
graph to a word-family in early Chinese taking as a hook.
meaning ‘turn around, send back’, giving
‘return weaving shuttle (on loom)’. This is the Mnemonic: A SHORT THREAD BECOMES A
view of Katō, but taking the graph rather as
originally showing a shuttle inverted seems HOOK!? – A MAGICAL ILLUSION
equally (if not more) valid as an interpreta-

The Remaining 1130 Characters 385

玄1297 GEN with an upper part representing a cover,
L1 occult, black giving ‘fine threads hardly visible’; by exten-
sion, ‘dark, black’, and by further extension
5 strokes ‘profound’ and by still further extension ‘oc-
cult’. An alternative view takes as the end of a
GENMYŌ mystery fine thread ( ) just visible above a line ( ),
GENKAN porch giving ‘hang down’ (Tōdō). This too may have
kurōto* expert, pro led to ‘obscure’ and thus similarly to ‘profound’
and ‘occult’. Several other commentators see
Bronze ; seal . Distinct from 29 (later the sense ‘black’ deriving from an original
sense: ‘fine/delicate threads’, and by exten- projected meaning of ‘dyed black thread’ for
sion ‘fine, small’) at the seal stage, but quite
possibly and were the same graph at (Gu, Shirakawa). KJ1970:32-3; TA1965:611;
the bronze stage, depicting intertwined silk GY2008:190-91; SS1984:268.
threads. Katō regards the two as originally
the same, taking the bronze form as depict- Mnemonic: TWISTED BLACK THREAD
ing two silk threads intertwined, and the seal
form as a lower part indicating ‘fine threads’ SYMBOLISES OCCULT

弦1298 GEN, tsuru sense ‘attach, hang’, thus giving ‘attach to both
L1 (bow)string ends of bow’, i.e. ‘bowstring’ (Katō). Alterna-
tively, here is taken as ‘thread’, with both
8 strokes semantic and phonetic functions, also giving
‘bowstring’, a sense which was later general-
SEIGEN sine (of angle) ized to ‘string’, encompassing such things as
yumizuru bowstring strings on musical instruments (Gu, Ogawa).
GENGAKKI stringed instrument KJ1970:388-9; GY2008:748; OT1968:339.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 107 Mnemonic: BOW HAS STRING OF TWISTED
‘bow’, and 1297 (originally, depiction of
twisted threads, now meaning ‘occult, black’) BLACK THREAD
taken in one view as phonetic with associated

舷1299 GEN, funabata A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 1450
L1 ship’s side, gunwale ‘boat’ (originally a pictograph), and 1297
(originally, depiction of twisted threads, now
11 strokes meaning ‘occult, black’) as phonetic, probably
with associated sense ‘attach, hang’ as with
GENMON gangway 1298 ‘strings’, giving ‘boat parts attached/hang-
UGEN starboard ing’, i.e. ‘gunwales, sides of a boat’. GY2008:1281;
GENSŌ porthole OT1968:838.

Mnemonic: A SHIP WITH BLACK SIDES

股1300 KO, mata, momo Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 209
L1 thigh, crotch ‘flesh, body, meat’, and 170 (originally, hand
holding stick or similar weapon, meaning ‘beat’)
8 strokes as phonetic with associated sense ‘straddle’,
giving extended sense ‘crutch; thighs’ (Ogawa).
futamata bifurcation, fork GY2008:678; OT1968:817,545.
futomomo (plump) thigh(s)
KOKŌ right-hand man Mnemonic: BEAT FLESHY THIGHS

386 The Remaining 1130 Characters

虎1301 KO, tora pictograph type underwent as the Chinese
L1 tiger, drunkard script evolved over time. The abbreviated
form – as in 1201 ‘cruelty, oppress’, for
8 strokes instance – is a stylized representation of just
the tiger’s head. GY2008:610; MR2007:315-6;
KOKETSU tiger’s den MS1995:v2:1138-9; OT1968:880. Suggest take
toranoko tiger cub, treasure
tora ni naru get drunk as variant of ‘building’ 127, as ‘seven’
32, and as legs.
OBI form ; bronze ; seal . Originally,
pictograph of a tiger. The different older Mnemonic: IN THAT BUILDING THERE’S A
stages given here are a good illustration of the
progressive stylization which graphs of the DRUNKEN TIGER WITH SEVEN LEGS

孤1302 KO Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 27
L1 orphan, lone ‘child’, and NJK (‘squash, melon, gourd’
[originally, pictograph of product of the gourd
9 strokes plant family on the vine]) as phonetic with
associated sense taken as ‘nothing to rely on’
KOJI orphan (Ogawa) or ‘suddenly separate, lone’ (Katō),
KORITSU isolation in either case giving overall a meaning of ‘or-
KODOKU loneliness phan’. KJ1970:394; OT1968:268; QX2000:182;
MS1995:v2:862. Suggest taking as a child’s
framed swing (as in a park).

Mnemonic: THE CHILD GOING TO THE SWING

IS AN ORPHAN

弧1303 KO Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 107
L1 arc, arch, bow ‘bow’, and NJK 1302 (‘squash, gourd,
melon’, q.v.) as phonetic with associated sense
9 strokes ‘round, rounded’, giving ‘curved bow’; prob-
ably originally referring to a type of bow with a
KAKKO parentheses particularly pronounced curved profile; sense
ENKO arc (shaped) later generalized and extended to ‘arc shape’.
KOKŌ arc light GY2008:747; OT1968:340. As with 1302, we sug-
gest taking as a child’s framed swing.

Mnemonic: THAT CHILD’S SWING IS BENT

LIKE A BOW!

枯1304 KO, kareru/rasu Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 73 ‘tree’,
L2 wither, decay and 121 (‘old’) as phonetic with associated
sense as i] ‘dry up’, thus ‘tree dries up and is bare’
9 strokes (Ogawa, Tōdō), or ii] ‘leaves fall’, thus giving ‘tree
loses leaves and is bare’ (Katō). OT1968:498;
KOSHI withering away TA1965:385-9; KJ1970:392.
fuyugare winter decay
kareha dead leaf Mnemonic: OLD TREE HAS BECOME BARE

The Remaining 1130 Characters 387

雇1305 KO, yatou ‘hire’. is already found in the sense ‘employ’
L2 employ, hire in the official history of the Former Han Dynasty
(206BC – 8AD)(Schuessler). Another view (Shi-
12 strokes rakawa) takes as phonetic, combining with
to denote a migratory bird, taken in ancient times
KOYŌ employment as an important indicator of seasons, for agricul-
yatoiNIN employee, servant ture. Nine such birds are listed in Shuowen under
KAIKO dismissal the heading. Either of the above analyses could
probably generate ‘employ’ as an extension of
OBI ; seal . Has 120 ‘door’, and 324 ‘bring into one’s home/make use of’, as opposed
‘short-tailed bird, bird’. Analyses differ over . to taking it as a loan usage. MS1995:v2:1408-9;
Mizukami takes it as having a semantic function AS2007:263; SS1984:279; DJ2009:303.
(‘door, room, house’), and looks to link it to a word-
family in early Chinese meaning ‘protect, shut/ Mnemonic: A BIRD AT THE DOOR WANTS TO
close, cover over’, giving overall meaning ‘keep
bird in an enclosure’; by extension, ‘bring others BE EMPLOYED!?
into one’s own home’, and by further extension

誇1306 KO, hokoru curved’, with connotations of ‘big’), thus ‘big’ as
L1 boast, proud semantic and phonetic, giving ‘say big words,
be boastful’. Note: consists of 56 ‘big’, over
13 strokes
(original way of writing [curved peg-like
KODAI exaggeration artefact: see 1031]) as phonetic with associated
KOJI ostentation sense ‘big’, thus again ‘say big words, boast’.
hokorigao proud look TA1965:421; OT1968:927; DJ2009:v1:208.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 118 ‘words; Mnemonic: BOAST ABOUT BIG CURVED
speak’, and CO (originally ‘straddle with thighs PEG-LIKE ARTEFACT

鼓1307 KO, tsuzumi ‘strike a drum’, and also just ‘drum’. An alterna-
L1 drum tive view is put forward by one commentator
(Katō), who takes the graph as ‘stick’ – possibly
13 strokes ‘bamboo stick’ – plus 壴 as phonetic, with the
latter serving a purely onomatopoeic role, to
KODŌ drum beating give ‘hit, make a “zoku-zoku” sound’ (note: the
TAIKO big drum equivalent in early Chinese would be similar
kotsuzumi hand drum to ‘tsok-tsok’); however, this view seems rather
forced. MS1995:v2:1518-21; GY2008:781,1542;
OBI ; seal . Has 壴, generally taken as OT1968:1169; AS2007:473; SK1984:815.
a pictograph of a drum on a stand (with Suggest taking the graph as 521 ‘samurai’,
decorative elements at the top: see also ‘topless’ beans’ , and ‘beat/strike

379 [beans] and 811), and 717, which Mnemonic: SAMURAI TOPS BEANS TO THE
was substituted (post-OBI and post-bronze,
probably in error) for 112 ‘hit, strike’ (in BEAT OF A DRUM
clerical script occurrences of , often in its
alternative form ), giving an overall meaning

錮1308 KO Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 16
L1 confine, bind, plug ‘metal’, and 501 ‘solid, hard’ as semantic
and phonetic, giving ‘make solid with (molten)
16 strokes metal, stop up’; sense later extended to ‘confine’,
and now only used in that sense. OT1968:1045;
KINKO imprisonment GY2008:1608; AS2007:261.
KEIKINKO short sentence
JŪKINKO long sentence Mnemonic: CONFINE BINDINGS TO HARD METAL

388 The Remaining 1130 Characters

顧1309 KO, kaerimiru ‘twist, turn’, to give ‘turn the head round, look
L1 look back back’; later, ‘look back’ in figurative sense also.
Mizukami lists what is given as two bronze
21 strokes equivalents; these are in the highly embellished
‘bird script’ subcategory of bronze script, which
KORYO concern gives individual graphs a delicate, bird-like
KAIKO retrospection aspect. MS1995:v2:1450-51; OT1968:1108;
KOMON adviser GY2008:1023.

Seal . Has 103 ‘head’, and 1305 Mnemonic: EMPLOY HEAD TO LOOK BACK
(‘employ’) as phonetic with associated sense

互1310 GO, tagai Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Originally,
L2 mutual pictograph of a device for evenly cross-winding
rope or thread, giving rise to extended senses
4 strokes such as ‘intertwining, mutual’. GY2008:75;
KJ1970:390; OT1968:34. Suggest taking the
SŌGO mutual graph in association with 21 ‘five’.
GOJO mutual aid
tagaichigai alternately Mnemonic: MUTUALITY CAN BE AWKWARD

WITH FIVE (OR THEREABOUTS)

呉1311 GO, kureru called Wu in southern China), namely Kure. The
L1 give, Wu China
exact derivation of this word Kure is not clear,

7 strokes but it perhaps reflects the Japanese attempt at

rendering a dialectal form of the Chinese word

GOFUKU drapery written as . Subsequently in Japan, the graph
kureguremo earnestly
kurete donor was borrowed for its sound value to write an

old Japanese verb kuru meaning ‘give’, equiva-

Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Has 22 lent to modern kureru. Note: the Go-on layer of
‘mouth; words, speak’, with (next to) a sec-
ond element representing a figure with head Sino-Japanese is older than the generally more
inclined, as in the bronze and seal forms. The
graph is interpreted as originally meaning i] familiar Kan-on, which represents the
‘turn away from someone shouting’, giving
‘noisy’ (Ogawa; Schuessler, in similar vein, says dominant layer of Sino-Japanese (often popu-
‘to shout’); or ii] ‘words which go against what
is normal’, as the original way of writing 868 larly referred to collectively as ‘on readings’).
‘mistake’ (Katō); or iii] a dancing figure, giving
‘enjoy’ by extension (later written ) (Gu). Go-on has been preserved quite prominently in
Meanings of include its use as the name of
an ancient Chinese state at different periods Buddhist terms (such as SETSU [not SATSU] in
(the earliest such being during the Zhou dy-
nasty), and as the name of a region in ancient SESSHŌ ‘taking of life’, and JŌ [not SEI] in
China (Three Kingdoms period). also has
Japanese-only uses. One of these is in the term JŌDO-SHŪ ‘Pure Land sect [of Buddhism]’.

Go-on, which refers to a layer of Sino- This was because the Buddhist priesthood
Japanese (SJ: see Note below). The graph
(Ch. Wu) was also used to write an old Japanese was resistant to the (at that time) new wave
word for China (often equated with a region
of pronunciation which was being brought

over from China, centered on the language

of the capital Chang’an, in about the eighth

century. OT1968:171; AS2007:518; KJ1970:394;

GY2008:423. We suggest taking the graph as a

box on a comfortable-looking reclining chair,

the box containing a gift.

Mnemonic: GIFT BOX FROM WU CHINA ON A
CHAIR

The Remaining 1130 Characters 389

娯1312 GO ‘speak’, giving ‘talk in enjoyable way with a
L1 pleasure, amusement woman’, and by extension ‘pleasure’. Another
view takes as a figure singing and dancing,
10 strokes serving in as semantic and phonetic to give
overall sense ‘woman singing and dancing’,
GORAKU pleasure and by extension ‘pleasure’ (Gu). TA1965:430;
KANGO pleasure OT1968:258; GY2008:1163.
GORAKUHIN plaything
Mnemonic: WOMAN GIVES PLEASURE AND
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
Has 37 ‘woman’, and 1311 (‘give’), taken AMUSEMENT
in one view as phonetic with associated sense

悟1313 GO, satoru as i] ‘clear’, giving ‘mind becomes clear’ (Katō,
L1 perceive, discern Ogawa), or ii] ‘call to mind’, giving ‘something
occurs to one’ (Tōdō). Note: consists of
10 strokes 22 ‘mouth; speak’, and 21 (‘five’) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘exchange’, giving
GOSEI wisdom ‘exchange words, converse’ (the original way
KAKUGO mental resolve of writing ‘tell, speak’ 124). KJ1970:395;
satori enlightenment OT1968:372; TA1965:427.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 164 Mnemonic: WITH FIVE MOUTHS TALKING,
‘heart, mind’, and (NJK ‘oneself’; see Note
below) as phonetic with associated sense taken ONE CAN PERCEIVE THEIR FEELINGS

碁1314 GO stand’ (historically), giving ‘stand used for playing
L1 go (the game) with stones’, and then ‘board game pieces’ by
extension (Ogawa). The graph has a parallel
13 strokes structure to , which appears in Shuowen as the
original arrangement of the components used
GOishi go stone for writing 1182 ‘Oriental chess’. While the
GOBAN go board two games are different, note that the one term
GOuchi go player
KISHI can denote a player of either game.
Late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 47 ‘stone’, and OT1968:712; KJ1970:239; DJ2009:v2:482.
269 (orig. pictograph of winnowing basket) as
Mnemonic: THE GAME ‘GO’ INVOLVES
phonetic with associated sense taken as i] ‘small’,
giving ‘board game pieces’ (Katō), or ii] ‘square STONES AND WINNOWING BASKETS

勾1315 KŌ graph of difficult etymology. Old forms (OBI,
L1 bent, slope, capture bronze) listed by Ogawa for are taken by him
as originally showing a hook caught on some-
4 strokes thing, but Mizukami takes a different view, not as
the predecessor of but of 丩898, a CO graph
KŌIN arrest which he takes as string or vines (or similar)
KŌBAI slope intertwined. Shirakawa, on the other hand, treats
KŌRYŪ detention
and 683 ‘phrase, clause’ as originally having
OBI and seal forms (丩) , ; OBI and seal been the same graph, as does Gu, who regards
forms ( ) , . itself is a late, post-Shuowen
as a popular variant for . Qiu is cautious

390 The Remaining 1130 Characters

about interpretation of / , as these are exam- MS1995:v1:12-13; SS1984:286; QX2000:324-7.
ples of graphs for which early source materials Take as nose, and as bent.
are inadequate. Present meanings ‘bent’, ‘slope’,
‘capture’ are all likely derived from not being Mnemonic: BENT NOSE AFTER FALLING
straight and getting caught up. OT1968:131; DOWN SLOPE AND BEING CAPTURED

孔1316 KŌ, ana of a mother’s breast and hence ‘hole in nipple’
L1 hole, Confucius (Ogawa, Gu). Another takes it as ‘bend and go
through’, i.e. a baby about to be born (Katō;
4 strokes also Mizukami), and hence ‘orifice of childbirth’.
Either way, ‘hole’ is the meaning. ‘Confucius’
BIKŌ nostril is a phonetic loan. OT1968:265; GY2008:126;
KIKŌ pore KJ1970:402; MS1995:v1:348-9.
KŌSHI Confucius
Mnemonic: CONFUCIUS SAYS ‘CHILD WHO
Bronze ; seal . It is clearly 27 ‘child’,
but analyses differ over the additional stroke in PLAYS WITH HOOK GETS HOLE’
the older forms. One view takes it as the curve

巧1317 KŌ, takumi as phonetic with associated sense ‘bend’, thus
L1 skill ‘bend and make’ (Ogawa, Tōdō). Another view
takes as meaning ‘ax’, and 丂 as phonetic
5 strokes with associated sense ‘flat, even’, giving ‘work
wood with an ax and skilfully make it flat/even’
GIKŌ skill (Katō). OT1968:310; TA1965:224-5; KJ1970:169-
KŌGEN flattery 70; MS1995:v1:2.
SEIKŌ elaborateness

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). One view takes Mnemonic: WORK WITH FLAT FLOATING
it as 125 ‘work’ (originally, tool), and 丂 130 PLANTS REQUIRES SKILL
(originally, pictograph of floating aquatic plant,)

甲1318 KŌ, KAN, kōra, yoroi pretation of the graph as representing scales on
L1 1st class, armor, fish or similar, but the first OBI form above is not
supportive of this). The outer element, similar
shell, high (voice) in shape to a square in OBI is thought to be
an addition to indicate the profile of the shell
5 strokes or pod, and Gu suggests this may have been
to avoid confusion. The straight stroke in the
KŌCHŪ beetle seal form is considered to represent a sprout
KŌSHU ‘A Grade’ of vegetation emerging. In his treatment, Katō
KANdakai shrill prefers to give ‘open up’ as the original meaning
of . ‘High (= ‘shrill’)’, and ‘1st (in a series)’ are
OBI , bronze ; seal . The bronze form loan usages. MS1995:v2:872-3; GY2008:165;
given here, which also serves to represent OBI KJ1970:936-7; OT1968:668. We suggest taking
forms of essentially the same shape (except the upper part of the graph as ‘field’ , and
that outer enclosure is more angular) is gener- the continued vertical stroke underneath as
ally taken to represent the cracks in a seed number.
shell/pod that appear as the seed emerges, giv-
ing ‘seed shell/pod’, with ‘shell’ as an extended Mnemonic: AN ‘A 1’ FIELD.
meaning, and ‘armor’ as a further extension of
meaning. (Mizukami notes an alternative inter-

The Remaining 1130 Characters 391

江1319 KŌ, e set-square) as phonetic, with associated sense
L1 inlet, river generally taken as‘big’, giving‘big river’. This graph
can sometimes denote the Yangtze River; also,
6 strokes ‘river’in a more generalized sense. In Chinese the
graph does not have the meaning‘inlet’, which
irie inlet, river is a Japanese-only meaning. MS1995:v2:730-31;
KŌKO world at large KJ1970:406; OT1968:558; AS2007:306.
Edo Edo, old Tokyo
Mnemonic: FIND CARPENTER’S SET-SQUARE
Bronze ; seal . Has 42‘water’, and
125 (‘work’, originally a type of tool such as a IN WATERS OF INLET

坑1320 KŌ early texts. Katō’s implication is that once this
L1 mine, pit, hole substitution became common, 64 ‘earth,
ground, soil’ replaced ( ) as the determina-
7 strokes tive, resulting in a graph whose components
then appeared more logical as a way of writing
TANKŌ coal mine the word for ‘pit, hole’. An alternative interpre-
KŌFU miner tation, based on an explanation of 阬 in the
KŌDŌ mine shaft ancient Chinese encyclopaedic dictionary Erya,
takes here in the uncommon sense ‘hollow’,
Seal ( 阬 ) ; itself is a late, post-Shuowen thus giving ‘hollowed-out pit’ (Tōdō). Accord-
graph. Shuowen has 阬, consisting of ( ) ing to this interpretation, is being taken
1907 ‘hill, terraced slopes’, with (‘neck / as the original way of writing . KJ1970:161;
throat, high, high spirits’, see 505) as phonetic TA1965:398-401; OT1968:213; AS2007:250. As
with associated sense taken as ‘high’, giving with 505, we suggest taking as a desk and
‘high/big hill’. This is the opposite meaning to top, and here in its meaning of ‘soil’.

, and Katō looks to explain the discrepancy Mnemonic: SOILED DESKTOP IS PITTED WITH
on the basis of use of 阬 as a substitute writing
for another homophonous / near-homopho- HOLES
nous CO graph ‘dry moat’, and by extension
‘pit, hole’; such substitutions were common in

抗1321 KŌ alternatively, takes in one of its meanings as
L1 resist, oppose ‘high’, giving ‘raise up high’, possibly meaning
‘raise the hands high (to protect the throat)’;
7 strokes the original meaning of is typically taken to
be ‘neck, throat’; Tōdō takes it more specifically
KŌGI protest as ‘carotid artery’. KJ1970:391; TA1965:385-91;
TAIKŌ opposition OT1968:402. As with 505 and 1320, we suggest
KŌSŌ dispute taking as a desk and top.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’, Mnemonic: HAND THUMPED ON DESKTOP
and 505 (‘neck / throat, high’) as phonetic
with associated sense taken typically as ‘defend, SHOWS OPPOSITION
fend off’, giving ‘defend with the hands’. Ogawa,

攻1322 KŌ, semeru Bronze ; seal . Has / 112 ‘strike, hit’,
L1 attack and 125 (‘work’, originally a type of tool/
square used by carpenters) taken in one
7 strokes analysis as semantic and phonetic, giving ‘make
things using a tool’ (Shirakawa, Ogawa). Anoth-
KŌGEKISHA aggressor er analysis takes only as phonetic with as-
SENKŌ specialty
semeiru invade

392 The Remaining 1130 Characters

sociated sense ‘hit, strike’, giving ‘hit with whip’ bronze forms. SS1984:292; MS1995:v1:566-7;
(Katō). Katō regards ‘attack’ as a loan usage, KJ1970:406; OT1968:436.
but this can surely be considered an extended
sense. Mizukami lists OBI forms, but the shapes Mnemonic: ATTACK, STRIKING WITH
seem difficult to reconcile with those of the CARPENTER’S SQUARE

更1323 KŌ, sara, fukeru/kasu loose’(i] and ii] both noted in Mizukami). Gu, in
L2 anew, change, grow line with i] above, interprets the original mean-
ing as ‘hand holding stick turns pancake over’.
late, again Extended senses include ‘anew, again’. Another
extended sense, ‘grow late’, appears to be
7 strokes connected to the traditional use of this graph
also to denote time during the night, which
KŌSHIN renewal was divided into five periods, each of about
imasara now, belatedly two hours. MS1995:v1:628-30; GY2008:393;
yofuke late at night OT1968:477. Suggest taking graph as 66 ‘day’
and as variant of strike / force.
OBI ; bronze ; seal . These early forms
have / 112 ‘strike’, beneath 1932 Mnemonic: DAY GROWS LATE, FORCING
(originally, type of stand), treated in one view as
phonetic with associated sense of i] ‘turn over, CHANGE
change’, thus ‘turn something into something
else’, i.e. ‘change’, or ii] ‘make firm something

拘1324 KŌ, kakawaru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’,
L1 seize, adhere to and 683 (‘phrase’; orig. threads or similar in-
tertwined or hooked together) as phonetic with
8 strokes associated sense taken as i] ‘stop’, thus ‘stop
with the hand’ (Katō, Ogawa), or ii] ‘bent’ (like
KŌSOKU restriction a hook, etc.), thus ‘pull and stop’ (Shirakawa).
KŌIN arrest KJ1970:279; OT1968:407; SS1984:294. Take
kakawarazu regardless as ‘mouth’ 22 with hook.

Mnemonic: SEIZE BY HANDY HOOK IN THE

MOUTH or SEIZE ONTO A HANDY PHRASE

肯1325 KŌ taken as ‘meat/flesh/soft tissue attached firmly
L2 consent, agree, vital to bone’ (Mizukami, Ogawa, Gu); Katō takes as
‘meat/flesh attached to skull’. Regarding the
8 strokes somewhat different shape , a transitional
shape between 肎 and can be found at the
SHUKŌ consent clerical script stage, with a top element similar
KŌTEI affirmation to but with bottom stroke written like , a
KŌTEITEKI affirmative point which helps us understand the shape of
the modern form. The meaning ‘consent, agree’
Bronze and seal forms (肎) , . Usually is a loan usage; based on usage in a classical
taken as comprising / 209 ‘meat, flesh’ Chinese text, Shirakawa takes ‘vital’ to be an
under . The latter element, normally a extended sense. OT1968:816; KJ1970:318-9;
determinative meaning ‘cover, roof’, is felt here GY2008:609; MS1995:v2:1068-9; SK1984:594;
to be an abbreviation of ‘bone’ or 冎 ‘skull SS1984:295. Suggest take as ‘stop’ 143.
and uppermost vertebra’ (see 877). Overall
original meaning of 肎 (corresponding to the Mnemonic: CONSENT TO MEAT STOPPAGE
original shape of later ; explained below) is

The Remaining 1130 Characters 393

侯1326 KŌ ritual. According to Shirakawa, this ritual was
L1 marquis, lord performed by persons whose duties extended
to protecting members of the royal family; for
9 strokes this work they were rewarded with fiefs, and
were treated as members of lower-ranking or
KŌSHAKU marquis peripheral nobility, hence the meaning ‘marquis’.
ŌtaKŌ Marquis Ōta As can be seen, the treatments of show con-
ŌKŌ royalty siderable diversity, and this appears to reflect a
degree of confusion or uncertainty regarding
Bronze ; seal . Treatments differ consider- the true etymology of this graph in relation to
ably. Ogawa takes as the original form of ,
consisting of an arrow ( ) and (normally a , and (see 504). However, amidst the
determinative meaning ‘cliff’, but here a hang- diversity of opinion regarding , the view put
ing cloth, as target), giving ‘target’. Qiu likewise forward by Shirakawa does seem to have some
takes it as an earlier form of . Katō too takes it merit. OT1968:63; QX2000:47,300; KJ1970:397-8;
as meaning ‘target’, but as a separate graph from SS1984:296. We suggest taking the graph as
41 ‘person’, 145 ‘arrow’, and as quiver on
, not as its predecessor. Shirakawa, in his treat- its side.
ment, discusses , which he sees as an earlier
form of , takes as meaning ‘roof’, indicating Mnemonic: PERSON WITH ARROW AND
an arrow-shooting ritual of purificatory signifi-
cance, with the top two strokes of represent- QUIVER IS A LORD [/ MARQUIS]
ing a person on top of the roof, involved in the

恒1327 KŌ, tsune become the model shape for this graph, but the
L1 always, constant great dictionaries of pre-modern times such as
Kangxi zidian maintained the more etymologi-
9 strokes cally appropriate . In modern Japanese usage,

KŌJŌ constancy has been adopted as standard, reflecting a
KŌKYŪ perpetuity process of shape regularization ( is recurrent
KŌREI common usage as an element elsewhere in JK graphs, e.g.
924, whereas is not). Mizukami also lists a
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Has 164 proposed OBI equivalent for . Note: (NJK)
‘heart, feelings’, with (see Note below) as ‘move across’; originally, either crescent moon
phonetic with associated sense of ‘fixed and not or boat between upper and lower line, indicat-
moving’, thus ‘a heart which is firm/unwavering’, ing moon moving within fixed limits, or a boat
then generalized to ‘constant’. In some early oc- moving within limits. MS1995:v1:506-7,30-33;
currences, there seems to have arisen confusion KJ1970:398-400; FC1977:26; ZZ1671:v1:440. As
between the original shape of as noted above with 924 we suggest taking this graph as as
on the one hand, and the separate graph shape ‘two’ 65 and ‘days’ 66.

(see below) ‘go round, revolve’. In calligraphic Mnemonic: FEELINGS CONSTANT OVER TWO DAYS
tradition, the brushwritten seems to have

洪1328 KŌ Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 42
L2 flood, vast ‘water(s)’, and 484 (‘together’) as phonetic
with associated sense taken as ‘big’, thus giv-
9 strokes ing ‘flood’ (Ogawa), and by extension ‘vast,
great’; Tōdō takes associated sense as either
KŌZUI flood ‘fall, descend’ or ‘thick’. On a geo-historical
KŌSEKISŌ diluvium note, in the Shuowen jiezi of ca.100AD, the
KŌDAI na vast first dictionary of Chinese characters (total:
9353) arranged according to a system of

394 The Remaining 1130 Characters

determinatives (540 in total) there are a quite mentation in other countries. OT1968:572;
remarkably frequent number relating to water TA1965:231,316.
and flood(/s). One may surmise that there
was serious flooding around that time, even Mnemonic: WHEN WATERS COME TOGETHER,
beyond China’s borders, as recorded in docu- YOU HAVE A VAST FLOOD

荒1329 KŌ, arai, areru/rasu wild/desolate’ is an extended sense. Note: 巟 is
L2 rough, wild, waste made up of (variant of 50 ‘river’), and
985 (‘die, lose’) as phonetic with an associated
9 strokes sense range ‘completely hidden; distant; ex-
tensive and barren’, thus overall sense ‘watery
KŌTEN wild weather expanse’, with extended senses ‘big river’, ‘over-
areCHI wasteland flow’ (Mizukami). MS1995:v2:1114-6,v1: 424-5;
aranami rough sea OT1968:851; GY2008:791-2.

Bronze ; seal . Has 53 ‘plants’, and CO Mnemonic: RIVER AND DEAD GRASS IN WILD
巟 (‘watery expanse’; see Note) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘cover completely’, thus WASTELAND

‘vegetation/weeds cover everything’; ‘become

郊1330 KŌ Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 376
L2 suburbs (‘village’), and 128 ‘mix/cross/exchange’
as phonetic with associated sense taken as i]
9 strokes ‘cross paths’, thus ‘outskirts (of city)’ (Tōdō); or
ii] ‘fire festival’, giving ‘place outside city walls
KŌGAI suburbs to conduct fire festival’ (Ogawa); or iii] ‘having
KINKŌ suburbs a common boundary’ (Gu). Gu follows Shuowen
KŌYA suburban fields definition of as originally denoting areas
within 100 li of the capital. TA1965:270;
OT1968:1019; GY2008:696.

Mnemonic: VILLAGE MIXES WITH SUBURBS

香1331 KŌ, ka, kaori/ru 22 ‘mouth’, thus ‘fragrance from millet in
L1 fragrance, incense mouth’, or ‘wafting aroma of cooked mil-
let’ (based partly on word-family associa-
9 strokes tion; Mizukami). Gu gives a different view
of OBI form, taking as ‘bowl/container’.
KŌSUI perfume OBI forms of and are close in shape,
KŌKI scent, fragrance and confusable, with no bronze forms
iroka female charms for . MS1995:v2:1464-5,1510-11,864-6;
OT1968:1121; KJ1970:278; GY2008:873.
OBI ; seal . Usually taken as 87 ‘grain’
Mnemonic: SUN BRINGS OUT FRAGRANCE OF
(as abbrev for NJK ‘millet’), over 1139
GRAIN PLANTS
‘sweet;’ thus ‘sweet aroma of millet’, with

66 ‘sun’ taken as variant of (e.g. Ogawa).

However, OBI forms have over

The Remaining 1130 Characters 395

貢1332 KŌ, KU, mitsugu the hands’, giving ‘valuables to offer up to one’s
L1 tribute lord’, i.e. ‘tribute’. An alternative associated sense
given for is ‘pass through and advance’,
10 strokes giving a specific meaning of ‘send produce
from the regions to the Capital for the Imperial
KŌKEN contribution Court’ (noted by Mizukami). Mizukami also lists
NENGU tax, dues possible OBI and bronze equivalents for .
mitsugimono tribute MS1995:v2:1232-3; KJ1970:406-7; OT1968:953.

Seal . Has 10 ‘shell (currency), valuables’, Mnemonic: SHELL-MONEY AND WORK ARE
and 125 (‘work’/‘tool’) as phonetic with as-
sociated sense typically taken as ‘offer up with FORMS OF TRIBUTE

控1333 KŌ, hikaeru (e.g. a bow); Ogawa takes associated sense as
L1 refrain, wait, write ‘hang, and bend’, giving a similar overall sense
‘draw back/in’, as in drawing back a bow, and
down also drawing or pulling in reins of a horse. By
extension, ‘pull back, refrain’. ‘Wait’ and ‘write
11 strokes down’ are meanings found in Japanese usage
only. KJ1970:401; OT1968:417; SS1984:305;
hikaeJO waiting room GY2008:123.
KŌSO legal appeal
hikaegaki memo, note Mnemonic: REFRAIN, HANDS REACHING FOR

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 THE SKY
‘hand’, and 17 (‘sky’) as phonetic with as-
sociated sense ‘pull’, giving ‘pull with the hand’

梗1334 KŌ, KYŌ in either case referring originally to a thorny
L1 block, mostly,
tree, specifically ‘mountain elm’. Meanings

close (off/up) such as ‘resist, prevent, block’ and ‘trunk/stem,

11 strokes branch’ may be seen as extended senses. The

meaning ‘outline, summary’, as in listed

KŌGAI outline, summary above, is treated by Gu as an extended sense
KŌSOKU stoppage
KIKYŌ bell-flower (in effect, a further extended sense) based

on having ‘trunk and stem’ as meanings.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 73 ‘tree, OT1968:507; SS1984:305-6; GY2008:1200.
wood’, and 1323 (‘anew, change’, ‘again’) as
phonetic with associated sense taken either as Mnemonic: ONCE AGAIN, IT’S MOSTLY
i] ‘thorn’ (Ogawa), or ii] ‘make hard’ (Shirakawa), BLOCKED OFF BY A TREE

喉1335 KŌ, nodo by Ogawa as ‘hole, cavity’, giving ‘throat’.
L1 throat, vital Schuessler regards the etymology of the early
Chinese word represented by as uncertain,
12 strokes while Shirakawa treats it as ‘probably onomato-
poeic’ in nature. ‘Vital/key point’ is an extended
nodobotoke Adam’s apple sense. OT1968:189; AS2007:279; GY2008:1424;
KŌTŌ larynx SS1984:306-7. We suggest remembering it
INKŌ throat through ‘marquis’.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 22 Mnemonic: MARQUIS GETS ARROW
‘mouth, opening’, and 1326 (‘marquis’,
q.v.) as phonetic with associated sense taken THROUGH MOUTH INTO THE THROAT

396 The Remaining 1130 Characters

慌1336 KŌ, awateru/tadashii A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 164 ‘heart,
L1 be flustered mind’, and 1329 (‘rough, desolate, wild’)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘undis-
12 strokes criminating, vague’, giving original meaning
‘unaware of oneself, absent-minded’. Katō is
KYŌKŌ panic, scare of the view that ‘flustered, panic’ is a loan use
ōawate big fluster of as substitute for another graph, namely
awatemono scatterbrain 惧 1234 (qv) ‘fear, be in awe’; Yupian explains
the meaning of as ‘fearful’. KJ1970:323;
GY2008:1504.

Mnemonic: WILD FEELINGS MAKES ONE

FLUSTERED

硬1337 KŌ, katai A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 47 ‘stone’,
L2 hard and 1323 (‘anew, change, ‘again’) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘strong’, giving
12 strokes ‘hard stone’; sense then generalized to ‘hard’.
KJ1970:162; OT1968:712; GY2008:1397.
KŌKA hardening
KŌKA coin Mnemonic: ONCE AGAIN, CHANGE TO STONE
KŌSUI hard water
AND BECOME HARD

絞1338 KŌ, shiboru, shimeru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 29
L2 strangle, wring ‘thread’, and 128 ‘cross, exchange’ as se-
mantic and phonetic, giving ‘fasten by en-
12 strokes twining cord (or similar) around’. TA1965:269;
KJ1970:174; OT1968:777.
KŌSHUDAI gallows
shimekorosu strangle Mnemonic: ALAS, STRANGLED WITH
shiboridasu squeeze out
CROSSED THREADS

項1339 KŌ, unaji both attribute a semantic element to here,
L1 clause, item, nape denoting a physical connection between,
or support for, something above and below
12 strokes (head and torso); if accepted, this view per-
haps provides a basis for taking other mean-
KŌMOKU clause, item ings such as ‘clause’ and ‘item’ as extended
JIKŌ matters senses, as seen for example in the English
JŌKŌ articles term ‘header’ in documents. KJ1970:162;
OT1968:1101; GY2008:780; TA1965:306;
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 103 SS1984:308.
‘head’, and 125 (‘work, tool’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘back, rear’, giving ‘back Mnemonic: WORK HEADINGS INCLUDE
of the head’, and by extension ‘back/nape of
the neck’. Additionally, Tōdō and Shirakawa ITEMISED CLAUSES

The Remaining 1130 Characters 397

溝1340 KŌ, mizo, dobu (OBI) a pictograph of a two-tiered bamboo
L1 ditch, channel container or basket(s) (Mizukami), or – in Shi-
rakawa’s interpretation – a spinning device for
13 strokes bringing threads together, either way giving
‘put together, assemble’ as an extended sense.
GESUIKŌ drain See also 701. OT1968:600; MS1995:v1:110-11;
mizokiri grooving SS1984:309, 300-301. We suggest taking as
dobunezumi sewer rat ‘a well’ 1575 and as ‘again, twice’ 706.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 Mnemonic: BUILD WATER CHANNEL TWICE
‘water’, and ‘(type of ) container’ as seman-
tic and phonetic, giving ‘water channel, ditch’. FROM WELL
Note: is a CO graph and was originally

綱1341 KŌ, tsuna Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 29
L1 cable, line, principle ‘thread’, and 1068 (‘hill’) as phonetic with
associated sense taken in a semantic range sig-
14 strokes nifying strength, viz. ‘big and strong’ (Ogawa),
‘thick, fat’ (Katō), ‘hard and straight’ (Tōdō); re-
YŌKŌ gist sultant overall meaning is ‘thick strong rope’, or
TAIKŌ main principles (Tōdō) ‘hard, straight rope/cable’. OT1968:781;
tsunabiki tug-of-war KJ1970:159; TA1965:385-91.

Mnemonic: CABLE THREADS UP THE HILL

酵1342 KŌ A very late graph (Yupian). Has ‘wine’ 318
L1 ferment, yeast (originally, pictograph of wine jar), and
870 (‘filial piety’) as phonetic with associated
14 strokes sense ‘foam, froth’, giving ‘fermented wine’
(Ogawa). Yupian defines as ‘yeast (for wine-
KŌBO yeast making)’. ‘Ferment, brew’ is an extended sense.
KŌSO enzyme OT1968:1027; SS1984:312.
HAKKŌ fermentation
Mnemonic: FILIAL PIETY SHOWN IN THE

FORM OF WINE FROM FERMENTED YEAST!?

稿1343 KŌ in either case giving ‘straw’. Regarding the
L1 manuscript, straw meaning ‘rough draft/manuscript’, this ap-
pears to be a loan usage, though it may be
15 strokes that there was a semantic connection deriving
from the perception of straw as something
GENKŌ manuscript rough or coarse. The meaning ‘straw’ is now
TŌKŌ contributed article effectively defunct. KJ1970:164; OT1968:736;
SŌKŌ rough draft TA1965:261-3.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 87 Mnemonic: MANUSCRIPT ABOUT TALL
‘grain (plant)’, and 132 (‘high, tall’) as phonetic
with associated sense taken as i] ‘rise up high’ GRAIN-PLANTS
(Katō, Tōdō), or ii] ‘withered and hard’ (Ogawa),

398 The Remaining 1130 Characters

衡1344 KŌ, kubiki and which he takes as a variant of another
L1 scales, yoke CO graph meaning ‘bull gores’. Even if we
do not accept Katō’s hypothesis of graph
16 strokes substitution, interpretation as ‘horn’ plus
夨 ’tilted head’ (in this case, the bull’s), seems
KINKŌ balance satisfactory. Based on the use of a horizontal
HEIKŌ equilibrium piece of wood as the core component, the
KŌKI scales original meaning ‘crosspiece for bull’s horns’
came to be used in extended senses such
Bronze forms , ; seal . Interpretations as ‘scales’ and ‘yoke (for draught animals)’. A
vary. The center part of this graph is taken in possible connection between in its original
one view as ‘big horns’ (consisting of sense ’crosspiece’ and 255 ‘horizontal,
97 ‘horn’ [slightly abbreviated shape] over side’ in terms of word-family is also noted by
56 ‘big’), with 131 (‘go’, ‘carry out’, ‘line’) as Schuessler. OT1968:899; MS1995:v2:1162-
phonetic with associated sense ‘horizontal’ 3v1:296-7; KJ1970:158-9; AS2007:277-8. We
(Ogawa), giving ‘wooden crosspiece for bull’s suggest taking the central element as ‘big
horns’ (to prevent goring). This analysis and stumpy horn(s)’, along with ‘go’.
the resultant meaning are essentially the
same for Katō, except that he notes another Mnemonic: BIG STUMPY HORNS GO ON THE
occurrent shape in bronze for which in-
stead of has CO 夨 ‘figure with head tilted’, SCALES

購1345 KŌ all means’, giving ‘buy in aggressively’, and
L1 buy ‘buy’ as the generalized sense (Ogawa).
Shirakawa, alternatively, takes the associated
17 strokes sense of as ‘bring together’, and consid-
ers the original meaning of as probably
KŌNYŪ purchase having been ‘reconciliation, compromise’. See
KŌBAI buying also 701. OT1968:962; SS1984:315,300-01;
KŌDOKU subscription DJ2009:v2:511. As with 1340, we suggest tak-
ing as ‘a well’ 1575 and as ‘twice’ 706.
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 10
‘shell (currency), valuables’, and (see Mnemonic: BUY A WELL TWICE USING SHELL
1340 Note) as phonetic with associated
sense taken in one view as ‘exhaustively try MONEY

乞1346 kou of writing another word (a near-homophone
L1 beg in early Chinese) meaning ‘ask for, beg’. Later
(post-Shuowen period), so as to avoid ambigu-
3 strokes ity in writing, the corresponding word for ‘ask
for, beg’ came to be written slightly differently,
koJIKI beggar, begging resulting in . See also 12. QX2000:326;
itomagoi farewell visit MS1995:v2:726-8; AS2007:422-3; GY2008:34;
amagoi praying for rain OT1968: 27. We suggest taking as ‘person’
and as ‘odd’ 1072.
OBI and seal forms ( ) . The graph
‘vapor’, based originally on a pictograph de- Mnemonic: THAT ODD PERSON IS A BEGGAR
picting some sort of vapor (cloud, or exhaled
breath), was borrowed as a convenient means

The Remaining 1130 Characters 399