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

拷1347 GŌ A very late graph (Yupian). Has 34 ‘hand’,
L1 torture, hit and 130 (‘consider’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense ‘strike, beat’, giving ‘beat’; acquired
9 strokes a connotation of beating a person to force
a confession. SS1984:317; AS2007:332,336;
GŌMON torture OT1968:412.
GŌMONDAI the rack
GŌKI torture instruments Mnemonic: CONSIDER USING HAND FOR

TORTURE

剛1348 GŌ OBI ; bronze ; seal . The OBI form has
L1 strength 198 ‘knife’, and 570 (‘net’) as phonetic

10 strokes with associated sense ‘hard’, giving ‘strong,
hard knife’. Bronze forms vary, but include one
GŌKEN fortitude that has the OBI elements just described, plus
GŌMŌ bristle an element representing a large ax. The seal
GŌCHOKU integrity form differs again, having , plus 1068
(‘hill’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘hard’.
In all these cases, ‘hard’ results as the general-
ized sense. MS1995:v1:132-3; KJ1970:159-60;
AS2007:250.

Mnemonic: CUTTING DOWN A HILL TAKES

STRENGTH

傲1349 GŌ, ogoru arrogantly’ as an extended sense. Shirakawa,
L1 proud, haughty alternatively, looks to interpret both and

13 strokes as having a ritualistic origin. Note: is
taken in one view as consisting of ’shoot
GŌMAN pride, arrogance of vegetation’, plus (CO ‘hit and bend’)
GŌGAN arrogance as phonetic with associated sense ‘emerge
GŌZEN to haughtily vigorously to a height’, giving ‘sprouts of
vegetation emerge’ (Katō). Shirakawa offers a
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has CO quite different analysis, interpreting as repre-
senting the corpse of a long-haired old per-
‘enjoy oneself’ (originally, ‘emerge vigorously son being ritualistically beaten on a stand.
OT1968:78,440,435; KJ1970:184; SS1984:318;
to a height’; see Note below) as semantic and AS2007:151. We suggest taking components
as 41 ‘person’, 64 ‘ground’, 223 ‘side’,
phonetic, and 41 ‘person’. Ogawa inter- and 112 ‘strike’.

prets as having been added to so as Mnemonic: HAUGHTY PERSON STRUCK ON

to denote mainly ‘enjoy oneself at will’ (our SIDE AND GOES TO GROUND

italics). If, though, the interpretation of the

original meaning of as ‘emerge vigorously

to a height’ (Katō) is accepted, the addition

of to create can be taken as ‘person

emerges vigorously above others’, giving ‘act

400 The Remaining 1130 Characters

豪1350 GŌ based on the fierce nature of the porcupine,
L1 strong, splendid, this being perceived as a positive character-
istic, though it seems this might perhaps be
Australia, brush more understandable if the graph were taken
as referring to a type of wild pig. Also used
14 strokes sometimes in abbreviated written style as a
single-graph writing meaning ‘Australia’, and in
GŌSHŪ Australia the compound writing GŌSHŪ ‘Australia’
GŌSŌ splendor (formerly written ); in the latter case,
GŌU heavy rain
tends to be used today in place of NJK
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 89 ‘wild (‘moat’). OT1968:950; GY2008:1744; TA1965:264.
pig, boar (or similar)’, and 132 (abbreviation We suggest taking the graph as a combination
of ‘tall, high’) as phonetic with associated of ‘house’ 89 and variant ‘tall’ 132.
sense taken either as i] ‘coarse animal hair’, giv-
ing ‘porcupine’ (Ogawa; Gu also in agreement), Mnemonic: AUSTRALIA HAS MANY SPLENDID
or ii] ‘long’, giving ‘boar/wild pig with long mane’
(Tōdō). ‘Bristle’ gives rise to’ brush’. ‘Outstanding/ TALL AND STRONG HOUSES
splendid’ is taken by Gu as an extended sense

克1351 KOKU OBI ; seal . OBI and bronze forms depict a
L1 conquer, endure, figure wearing what is taken to be a helmet,
and possibly also body armor. Being heavy,
overcome this gave rise to the extended senses ‘endure’,
and ‘overcome (the weight of protective
7 strokes cladding)’, ‘win’. KJ1970:331; MS1995:v1:92-3;
OT1968:88; TA1965:132. Suggest taking ele-
KOKKI self-control ments as 121 ‘old’ and as ‘legs’ 41.
KOKUFUKU subjugation
KOKUMEI diligence Mnemonic: OLD LEGS CAN STILL ENDURE

AND OVERCOME

酷1352 KOKU Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 318
L1 severe, intense, cruel, ‘wine’, and / 507 (‘proclaim’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘brace, draw in’, giving
harsh ‘strong-tasting wine that strikes the taste-buds’;
sense later generalized to ‘strong-tasting’,
14 strokes and ‘severe’. OT1968:1027-8; TA1965:222;
SS1984:322.
KOKUSHI exploitation
ZANKOKU cruelty Mnemonic: SEVERE PROCLAMATION ABOUT
KOKUSHO intense heat
WINE

獄1353 GOKU Bronze ; seal . Consists of 118
L1 prison, litigation ‘words; speak’, with ‘quarrel’ (originally
two dogs biting/snarling at each other:
14 strokes see 19), giving ‘quarrel’; sense extended to
‘court’, ‘jail’. MS1995:v2:844-5; OT1968:931;
GOKUMON prison gate GY2008:902.
JIGOKU hell
GIGOKU criminal case Mnemonic: WORDS IN DOG FIGHT LEAD TO

LITIGATION AND PRISON

The Remaining 1130 Characters 401

駒1354 koma Bronze ; seal . Has 210 ‘horse’, and
L1 colt, chess piece, 683 (‘phrase, clause’,) as phonetic with

bridge (violin etc), associated sense ‘small’, giving ‘small horse,
colt’; Gu says original meaning was ‘two-year
frame (film) old horse’. ‘Game-board piece’, as in chess, go,
etc., which represents Japanese-only usage,
15 strokes can perhaps be seen as a further extended
sense. It is unclear as to how its other meanings
komaGETA low clogs came about. MS1995:v2:1468-9; GY2008:758;
komadori robin OT1968:1125.
tegoma shōgi piece
Mnemonic: ‘COLT’ IS A PHRASE APPLIED TO

A HORSE

込1355 komu/meru No early forms, being a kokuji ( ), i.e. a
L2 put in, crowded graph devised in Japan on the basis of the
main formational principles underlying the
5 strokes vast corpus of graphs devised in China. Con-
sists of 85 ‘walk, move’, and 67 ‘enter,
mikomi prospect put in’, giving ‘be crowded’ (the result of many
hitogomi crowd people entering). OT1968:992.
komemono stuffing
Mnemonic: IT GETS CROWDED WHEN PEO-

PLE MOVE TO ENTER

頃1356 koro probably depicting a bent, withered leg, then
L2 time, around (time) borrowed for ’ladle, spoon’, plus 103 ‘head’.
Later, was borrowed to write time-related
11 strokes words such as ‘recently’ and ‘when’, the latter
providing the basis for its meaning in Japa-
tegoro na convenient nese. OT1968:1100; GY2008:602; TA1965:508-
SANJIgoro about 3 o’clock 9. Suggest taking as ‘variant’ 32 ‘seven’,
chikagoro nowadays and a different take on ‘head’.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Original Mnemonic: LET’S HEAD OFF AROUND SEVEN
meaning of the graph was ‘tilt/incline the
head’ ( 1264), consisting of , originally O’CLOCK

昆1357 KON OBI ; bronze ; seal . Views diverge. One
L1 multitude, insect, takes the lower element as people gathered
together 792 (originally, two people in
descendants line; ‘compare’) beneath the ‘sun’ 66, giving
‘people gather beneath the sun’ (Tōdō, Gu).
8 strokes Tōdō also takes more specifically as ‘people
gather beneath the sun in a round group’,
KONCHŪ insects adding ‘round’ on the basis of word-family as-
KONBU kelp sociation. Alternatively, it is seen as represent-
KŌKON descendants

402 The Remaining 1130 Characters

ing the head of an insect, with legs lined up OBI forms which include ‘person’ / 41
underneath, giving ‘crawling insect with many (e.g. 901 ‘multitude’) does not provide us
legs’ (Ogawa); with this view, the top element with a definitive answer on the appropriate
could alternatively be taken as representing interpretation of this graph. TA1965:712-22;
the insect’s body, incorporating the eyes. The GY2008:615; MS1995:v1:612-3. Suggest taking
seal form in Shuowen takes the lower element
in as depicting two people, but a bronze in its meaning ‘day’.
form is more suggestive of legs. Unfortu-
nately, comparison of the OBI form for with Mnemonic: COMPARE DAYS IN TERMS OF

MULTITUDES OF INSECTS

恨1358 KON, uramu follow/comply’, giving ‘not readily follow/com-
L1 resent, regret ply; defiance’; and ‘resent, regret’ presumably
becomes an extended sense. Tōdō also takes
9 strokes
as phonetic, but with associated sense
KAIKON remorse ‘persistently remain’, giving ‘scars remain in
IKON grudge the heart’, and hence ‘resent, regret’. Note: Mi-
uramigoto grievance zukami also lists another analysis for which
takes as 76 ‘eye’ over 198 ‘knife’, mean-
Bronze (㫐) ; seal ( ) . Though hard to ing i] ‘tattoo (criminal) on rim of eye’ or ii] ‘gaze
distinguish, the earlier bronze form equivalent unswervingly at one point’; Tōdō’s view of
has an eye facing one way (to the left) and follows ii]. MS1995:v2:914-5; KJ1970:410-11;
the body facing the other way, taken to mean TA1965:706-7.
‘be antagonistic’. At the seal stage, 164
‘heart, mind, feelings’ was added. One view Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE WITH FEELINGS
takes 281 (‘look back’, typically in anger)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘not readily OF RESENT AND REGRET

婚1359 KON (as does Schuessler), and treats the seal form
L2 marriage of as consisting of ‘woman’, plus
as phonetic with associated sense ‘phallus,
11 strokes genitalia’. Shirakawa, alternatively, takes the
bronze form as depicting a ladle for wine,
KEKKON marriage used in celebrating the marriage ceremony.
KON’YAKU engagement A satisfactory interpretation of this graph is
MIKONSHA unmarried person elusive. Note: the posited meaning ‘go down’
noted above for may result from serving
Bronze ; seal . Open to various interpre- as an abbreviation for similarly-shaped ,
tations. One view (Gu) interprets as 37 a CO graph which is itself understood with
‘woman’ and (NJK, meaning ‘dusk, dim, un- meanings which include i] carving tool for
clear’) as semantic and phonetic. Gu takes gouging or chiselling out the flat bottom of
as comprising , here with the meaning ‘base; a receptacle, and ii] flat land at the foot of a
go down’ (as an extended sense of 522 hill; both these interpretations of are given
‘clan, family, mister’, a graph which originally in Mizukami. GY2008:1347,682; KJ1970:411-
depicted a spoon with prong[s] for picking up 2; MS1995:v2:724-6; SS1984:327,613;
meat or similar, but see Note below) over 66 AS2007:289-90. We suggest taking in its
‘sun’, giving ‘sun goes down’; the sense ‘marry’ sense of ‘Mister’.
for is taken to result as an extended sense
based on the custom of weddings in ancient Mnemonic: WOMAN MARRIES HER ‘MISTER’
times being held in the evening. Katō, though,
dismisses this as a popular misconception AS THE SUN GOES DOWN

The Remaining 1130 Characters 403

痕1360 KON, ato Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 404
L1 vestige, scar, mark, ‘illness’ (originally, person lying down on bed),
and 281 (originally, ‘stop and stare’, ‘be
traces antagonistic’, q.v.) as phonetic with associated
sense taken as either i] place which is hard-
11 strokes ened’ (Ogawa), or ii] ‘steadily remain’ (Tōdō),
either way giving overall sense ‘birthmark,
KONSEKI traces, vestiges scar’. DJ2009:v2:610; OT1968:679; TA1965:707.
KEKKON bloodstain
DANKON bullet hole Mnemonic: ILLNESS LEAVES ITS MARK, AND

SOME STOP AND STARE AT IT

紺1361 KON Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 29
L1 dark blue, dye ‘thread’, and 1139 (‘sweet’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘including red’ (Katō).
11 strokes Shuowen explains as ‘dark blue tinged with
red’.KJ1970:223; DJ2009:v3:1063.
KONiro dark blue
KONya dyer Mnemonic: THREADS DYED A SWEET DARK
SHIKON bluish purple
BLUE

魂1362 KON, tama, tamashii haunt [terrorize] the living’), and 83 ‘cloud’
L1 soul, spirit (later written , also NJK for ‘speak, say’) as
semantic and phonetic. Shirakawa suggests
14 strokes that in ancient times it was probably thought
that a person’s soul was like a hovering cloud.
REIKON soul OT1968:1140; GY2008:1539; AS2007:267;
SHŌKON commercial spirit SS1984:329.
tamageru* be shocked
Mnemonic: IT IS SAID THAT ONE’S SPIRIT IS
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 1179
‘soul, spirit, ghost’ (Schuessler has ‘originally: CLOUD-LIKE
the ghost of a deceased who has returned to

墾1363 KON iii] ‘boar bites/digs down’, giving ‘dig down into
L1 cultivate, reclaim the ground’ like a boar’ (Shirakawa). Shirakawa’s
interpretation has some persuasiveness. ‘Culti-
16 strokes vate/reclaim (land)’ is the extended sense. Note:

KAIKON reclamation , one of a small number of determinatives for
KONDEN opened fields wild animals (e.g. as in NJK HYŌ ‘leopard’) is
MIKAIKON uncultivated based on a pictograph originally depicting a
beast with arched back ready to pounce on its
Seal ; late graph (later version of Shuowen). prey. OT1968:226,950; KJ1970:412; SS1984:329;
Has 64 ‘earth, ground’, and 貇 as phonetic; MS1995:v2:1226-7. Suggest using top right ele-
貇 (see Note below) is variant of 豤 (CO, ‘boar ment 281 ‘stop and stare’.
bites’). Associated sense of 豤/貇 is taken as i]
Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE AT BOAR
‘cut down, cut’, giving ‘open up land’ (for cultiva-
DIGGING IN SOIL AS IF CULTIVATING IT
tion; Ogawa), or ii] ‘clay which is hard to dig up’,

giving ‘land extremely hard to dig up’ (Katō), or

404 The Remaining 1130 Characters

懇1364 KON, nengoro na giving ‘include warm feelings’ (Ogawa), or ii]
L1 friendly, cordial, ‘reach down’, giving ‘reach down into some-
one’s feelings’ (Shirakawa), or iii] ‘wanting one
courteous, kind thing’, giving ‘a pure heart’ (Katō; Gu also),
or iv] ‘in detail’, giving ‘be watchful on points
17 strokes of detail’ (Tōdō). OT1968:390; SS1984:330;
KJ1970:412; GY2008:1158; TA1965:695-9. As
KONDAN friendly chat with 1363, we suggest using the top right ele-
KONGAN entreaty ment 281 as ‘stopping and staring’.
KONJŌ kindliness
Mnemonic: BOAR STOPS AND
Seal ; a late graph (later version of Shuow-
en). Has 164 ‘heart, mind, feelings’, and STARES – HOPEFULLY IT’S FEELING FRIENDLY!
貇/豤 1363 (‘boar’ > ‘boar bites/digs’) with
associated sense taken variously as i] ‘include’,

佐1365 SA A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 24 ‘left’, in
L1 assist, assistant an extended sense ‘support, help’, and 41
‘person’ added, giving overall meaning ‘assist/
7 strokes one who assists’. KJ1970:416; OT1968:53;
GY2008:450.
HOSA assistant
SAKAN field officer Mnemonic: PERSON ON THE LEFT IS AN
TAISA colonel
ASSISTANT

沙1366 SA, isago view, as originally meaning ‘water’s edge’, then
L3 news, tidings, sand progressively by extension ‘sandy soil at water’s
edge’, and ‘sand’. 879 ‘sand’ is a later equiva-
grains lent graph (noted in Yupian as a popular writ-
ing for ), in which 47 ‘stone’ is substituted
7 strokes for ‘water’. The meanings ‘news, tidings,’
are perhaps by association with word-family
BUSATA neglect to write ‘scatter(ed)’. KJ1970:415-6; MS1995:v2:734-5;
SABAKU desert GY2008:496-7,815; OT1968:561.
toriZATA gossip, rumor
Mnemonic: THE NEWS IS THAT THERE IS
Bronze ; seal . Has 42 ‘water’, and
160 ‘few, a little’ as semantic and phonetic, giv- LITTLE WATER – NOT GOOD TIDINGS
ing ‘small stone particles (suspended) in water’,
i.e. ‘sand’. Ogawa takes a slightly different

唆1367 SA, sosonokasu, sosoru ‘urge on verbally, urge on’; often has negative
L1 entice, incite connotation. Note: originally (OBI) has
‘drag the foot, foot’ (see Appendix), with
10 strokes (‘tall, slim person’) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘walk slowly’, thus ‘walk slowly, walk drag-
SHISA suggestion, hint ging foot’ (see also 715). KJ1970:418-9,158-9;
KYŌSA incitement GY2008:1046,1715; MS1995:v1:286-7. As with
KYŌSASHA abettor 1470, we suggest taking right hand part as
‘crossed legs’ , and ‘runny nose’ .
A late, post-Shuowen graph. Shuowen has , in
relation to which , devised later, is a popular Mnemonic: RUNNY NOSE, MOUTH AND
variant. Has 22 ‘mouth’, and CO (see Note
below) as phonetic with associated sense ‘set CROSSED LEGS ARE ENTICING!?
a dog on (someone or something)’, giving

The Remaining 1130 Characters 405

詐1368 SA Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 118
L1 lie, deceive ‘words; speak’, and 141 (‘make’) as semantic
and phonetic, giving ‘make up words, deceive
12 strokes with words’. ( originally denoted marks
made with a cutting instrument; ‘make’ is an
SAGISHI swindler extended sense.) MS1995:v2:1192-3,v1:18-9;
SASHU fraud KJ1970:437; OT1968:924.
SASHŌ misrepresentation
Mnemonic: MAKE UP WORDS IN DECEITFUL LIE

鎖1369 SA, kusari broken up. Alternatively, can be taken as
L1 chain, link ‘small shells strung together’, and by extension
the sound of shells getting broken up (Shi-
18 strokes rakawa). Based on the interpretation of as
‘small shells strung together’, Ogawa analyzes
SAKOKU closed country
RENSA desert as ‘metal’ with as phonetic with
kusaridome sprocket associated sense ‘put together’, giving ‘chain’
made of metal rings joined up. SS1984:334,332;
Seal ; late graph (later version of Shuowen); OT1968:1048; GY2008:1441,418-9. Suggest tak-
traditional . Has 16 ‘metal’, and (com- ing as small 38.
prising 38 [small objects, possibly shells]
over 10 ‘shell, shell currency’) is taken in Mnemonic: SMALL SHELLS LINKED
Shuowen as onomatopoeic to represent the
sound of shells rubbing together and getting TOGETHER ON A METAL CHAIN

挫1370 ZA, kujiku Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 34
L1 sprain, wrench, ‘hand’, and (CO; original way of writing
880 ‘sit’) as phonetic with associated sense
frustration taken as ‘crumble, break down’ (Tōdō says ‘snap
and get shorter’), giving ‘break with the hand’,
10 strokes and hence ‘break, crush’; ‘frustrate’ is an ex-
tended sense. TA1965:575-7; MS1995:v1:268-9;
NENZA sprain, dislocation OT1968:414. As with 880, suggest take as
ZASETSU setback, frustrate ‘two people’ 41 sitting on the ‘ground’ 64.
ZASHŌ sprain, fracture
Mnemonic: TWO PEOPLE SITTING ON THE

GROUND WITH SPRAINED HANDS

采1371 SAI, toru times – as here – ‘hand’, and 73 ‘tree’,
L2 take, appearance, giving ‘pick fruit/nuts from a tree’; later, sense
generalized to ‘take’. It is unclear as to how the
form, land, dice other meanings have accrued, though Tōdō
suggests ‘land’ may derive from a term for tax
8 strokes collecting on given land using the graph .
MS1995:v2:1354-5; MR2007:339; GY2008:671;
KASSAI applause OT1968:630; TA1965:107-11. To distinguish
FŪSAI form, appearance from , which appears to have two hands, we
SAI no me dots on dice suggest here to use just one.

OBI ; seal ; traditional . See also 509 Mnemonic: SINGLE HAND GATHERS FROM TREE
and 709. Has (as variant of 1739),
which is usually ’claw, talon (etc.)’, but some-

406 The Remaining 1130 Characters

砕1372 SAI, kudaku/keru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional
L1 break, smash . Has 47 ‘stone’, and 564 (‘soldier; end’) as

9 strokes phonetic with associated sense ‘break up small,
small’, giving ‘stones get broken up small’; sense
SAIHYŌSEN ice-breaker then generalized to ‘break, smash’. KJ1970:420;
SAIHEN fragment OT1968:710; TA1965:695; FC1974:v2:1578. is
kudaketa informal an early calligraphic variant of , so we suggest
‘nine’ 13, and ‘ten’ 35.

Mnemonic: SMASH ROCK INTO NINETEEN

FRAGMENTS

宰1373 SAI Instead, he sees as a tool with a curved blade
L1 administer for cutting sacrificial meat. Most OBI and bronze
occurrences of do suggest a straight needle/
10 strokes blade, but there are some with a curve, and Shi-
rakawa takes the overall original sense of as
SHUSAISHA leader probably ‘person in charge (of banquets/food)’.
SAIRYŌ management Tōdō also questions the projected connection
SAISHŌ prime minister between this graph and criminals. Ogawa takes

OBI ; seal . Scholars agree is ‘building’ as having a phonetic role, with associated
30, but differ on role of 1535 (‘sharp, bitter’). sense ‘take charge of, administer’, thus overall
Associated meanings of include ‘crime/ meaning ‘person in charge of Imperial Court
criminal/slave’, once denoting a large tattooing banquets’ and by extension ‘head official’ for .
needle with handle, used to tattoo foreheads Despite the substantial differences of interpreta-
of slaves/criminals as mark of ownership. Thus tion, ‘take charge of, administer’ is typically taken
as the extended generalized meaning of this
is understood as ‘criminal/slave working in graph. KJ1970:558-9; GY2008:1146; SS1984:336-
building’ (Katō); Gu feels criminals/slaves were 7; TA1965:110; OT1968:279.
charged with slaughtering livestock, in line with
Shuowen. Shirakawa, though, feels it unlikely Mnemonic: A BUILDING THAT HOUSES A
that slaves/criminals were used in positions,
such as those of officials who were of high sta- NEEDLE-SHARP ADMINISTRATION
tus, even minister to the emperor ( SAIHO).

栽1374 SAI (and ‘plant’ as extended sense). This latter
L1 planting view, favored by Tōdō, has an associated sense
for that is close to its meaning ‘harm with
10 strokes weapon’. Note: consists of ‘halberd’ 545,
plus 139 (etymology uncertain; ‘talent’) as
BONSAI bonsai phonetic with associated sense ‘harm, dam-
SAIBAI cultivation age’, thus ‘injury caused by halberd (or other
SENZAI* garden weapon)’. Judging from the block script shape,
it is hard to see how or why one element is
Bronze ; seal . Has 73 ‘tree, wood’, and taken as , but the OBI form of does show
(CO ‘inflict injury with weapon’; see Note some basis for identifying as a component.
below) as phonetic. Views differ on associated KJ1970:422-3; GY2008:989; TA1965:107-9;
sense. One takes as ‘put/stand (something) MS1995:v1:666-7,534-5; OT1968:504. Take top
up’, thus ‘put up wooden supports’ (referring left as ‘ten’ 35.
to ancient method of building earthen walls
by planting posts in ground as supporting Mnemonic: TEN HALBERDS PLANTED LIKE
framework); ‘plant tree’ is extended sense
(Katō, Gu). The other main view takes associ- TREES
ated sense of as ‘cut’, thus ‘prune/trim tree’
The Remaining 1130 Characters 407

彩1375 SAI, irodoru as ‘decorative feathers’ or ‘colored feathers’, and
L1 color / 1371 (hand gathering from tree) as pho-

11 strokes netic with associated sense as i] ‘decoration,
embellishment’, thus ‘beautiful colors/pattern’
SHIKISAI color(ing) (Ogawa, Shirakawa), or ii] ‘mixed’, giving ‘deco-
TANSAI light coloring rate using various colors’ (Katō). OT1968:345;
SAIUN glowing clouds SS1984:350,337; KJ1970:419-20. We suggest
taking as a three-bristled brush.
Seal ; late graph (later version of Shuowen);
traditional . Has 115, a determinative Mnemonic: THREE BRISTLES PAINT COLOR
believed originally to have had a meaning such
PICTURE OF HAND TAKING FROM TREE

斎1376 SAI giving ‘put body and mind in order for worship’.
L1 purify, abstain, Extended senses include ‘purify’, ‘abstain’; also,
‘a separate place to conduct such activities’,
worship, a study giving ‘study’ as a further extended sense.
Some clerical script occurrences show a trend
11 strokes in shape towards , the upper part of which
seems to have evolved – albeit with a degree
SAIKAI purification of distortion – from the earlier component
SHOSAI a study/den made up of the three grain plants. TA1965:773;
KESSAI abstinence, purify OT1968:723; SK1984:816; MS1995:v2:1524-5.
Suggest lower part as framed altar, and as
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Bronze has ‘text’ 72.
723 (originally pictograph of altar; ‘show’),
Mnemonic: WRITE TEXT ON PURIFICATION
and the early equivalent of 1578 ([tradi-
tional form: ] originally depiction of (three) USING FRAMED ALTAR IN A STUDY
grain plants growing together; ‘equal, similar’)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘put in order’,

債1377 SAI Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 751
L1 debt, loan ‘liability’ (originally, ‘money requested [from
debtor]’; ‘liability’), and 41 ‘person’ added,
13 strokes giving ‘one who owes money’, and by exten-
sion ‘debt’. OT1968:78; GY2008:1072.
SAIMU liabilities
SAIKEN debenture Mnemonic: DEBT THROUGH LOAN IS A
SAIKENSHA creditor
PERSON’S LIABILITY

催1378 SAI, moyoosu Seal : late graph (Shuowen). Has 41
L1 organize, muster ‘person’, and (CO meaning ‘high moun-
tain’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘urge,
13 strokes encourage’, giving ‘urge/encourage someone’.
OT1968:78; DJ2009:v2:660. Take as 26
SHUSAI sponsorship ‘mountain’ and 324 ‘bird’.
SAISOKU urging
SAIMIN hypnosis Mnemonic: PERSON ORGANISES AND MUS-

TERS BIRDS ON MOUNTAIN

408 The Remaining 1130 Characters

塞1379 SAI, SOKU, fusagu items as tiles or bricks as a means of blocking
L1 obstruct, block, stop gaps in the walls of a building, and hence by
extension ‘stop up, block’. The addition of the
up, plug, fort element 64 ‘soil, earth, ground’ perhaps
indicates the use of soil as a means of blocking
13 strokes holes. ‘Frontier fort’ is presumably an extended
sense for , based on the concept of blocking
SOKUSEN embolism foreign barbarians from entering the Middle
anafusagi stop-gap Kingdom. MS1995:v1:388-90; KJ1970:423;
YŌSAI fortress OT1968:222; DJ2009:v3:1120; TA1965:120. Sug-
gest cover over combined ‘big’ 56 ‘well’
OBI ; bronze ; seal ( ). The OBI and 1575’, plus ‘soil’ .

bronze forms, which equate in block script Mnemonic: BIG COVERED WELL IS BLOCKED
through simplification to , represent the orig-
BY SOIL
inal way of writing , made up of 30 ‘roof,
cover’ over 㠭 ‘tiles’, with two hands beneath

them. This graph is interpreted as using such

歳1380 SAI, SEI sense‘rotation’(or‘end’), thus‘move through rota-
L2 year tion from cold to heat’, i.e.‘one year’. Note: both

13 strokes 476 and 1016 may initially have been the
same graph (Mizukami, Katō, Qiu), representing
NISAI two years old same word. See also 545. MS1995:v1:706-7,531-4;
SAIHI annual expenses KJ1970:600-01; QX2000:35; OT1968:539;
SEIBO year-end gift AS2007:596. Suggest lower left as 723‘show/
altar’and top as 143‘stop/foot’.
OBI ; seal . Has 221‘walk, move’, and
or (orig. both pictographs of weapon such as Mnemonic: EVERY YEAR HALBERDS ARE
halberd or battle-ax) as phonetic with associated
PLACED AT FOOT OF ALTAR

載1381 SAI, noru/seru Bronze ; seal . Has ‘vehicle’, and
L1 load, carry, publish, (CO, ‘injure with a weapon/halberd’ [see 1374
Note]) as phonetic with associated sense ‘put
print in place, secure’, giving ‘put load securely (onto
cart, etc.)’; by extension, ‘put in print, publish’.
13 strokes Mizukami lists a proposed OBI equivalent also.
MS1995:v2:1270-71; OT1968:984; TA1965:110.
SEKISAI loading There are a number of variants for halberd, and
KEISAI publication we suggest here a ‘fancy’ halberd.
KISAI mention
Mnemonic: VEHICLE CARRIES LOAD OF

FANCY HALBERDS – PUT IT IN PRINT

埼1382 (sai), saki phonetic with associated sense ‘uneven’, giving
L1 promontory, cape ‘(place where) coastline is winding’, i.e. ‘promon-
tory’. The Yupian dictionary lists this graph in
11 strokes the variant form (NJK), with 47 ‘stone,
rock’ instead of . SS1984:145; GY2008:1179.
Saitama Saitama Mnemonic: THE GROUND ON THAT
SaitamaKEN Saitama Prefecture PROMONTORY IS STRANGE

A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 64 ‘earth, The Remaining 1130 Characters 409
ground’, and 1174 (‘strange, odd’) as

剤1383 ZAI form: ) as semantic and phonetic, giving ‘cut
L1 medicine, drug and make even’. Tōdō takes this to refer to the
ancient practice of cutting tallies of equal shape
10 strokes to mark an agreement, as well as to preparing
equal individual doses of traditional medicines.
YAKUZAI medicine Over time, the medicine-related sense became
YAKUZAISHI pharmacist predominant. KJ1970:423; TA1965:770-73;
KANGEZAI laxative OT1968:119.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional Mnemonic: MEDICINAL DRUG NEEDS TO BE
. The seal form has 198 ‘knife, cut’, and the
CUT UP IN EQUAL MEASURES
equivalent of 1578 ‘equal, similar’ (traditional

崎1384 saki, misaki, KI A late, post-Shuowen graph. Yupian takes to
L1 cape, steep mean ‘uneven mountain road’. Ogawa inter-
prets as 26 ‘mountain’, and 1174 (‘strange,
11 strokes odd’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘stick out prominently’ or ‘winding’, and notes
Nagasaki Nagasaki ‘promontory’ as a Japanese-only usage, as does
Shimazaki a surname Shirakawa. OT1968:304; SS1984:146.
KIKU steep road
Mnemonic: THAT ODD MOUNTAIN ON THE

CAPE LOOKS STEEP

削1385 SAKU, kezuru little’ over 209 ‘meat, flesh’ in its variant form
L1 reduce, pare, sheath ]). In this view, the other meaning ‘sheath,

19 strokes scabbard’ is seen as a borrowed usage of .
An alternative analysis of this graph takes as
SAKUJO deletion ‘knife, sword’, and as phonetic with associ-
SAKUGEN reduction ated sense ‘contain’, thus ‘container for knife/
kezuritoru shave off sword’, i.e. ‘sheath, scabbard’ (Katō); in this analy-
sis, conversely, ‘shave/plane, pare’ is seen as the
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . borrowed usage. OT1968:117,816; TA1965:255-
Has 198 ‘knife, sword, cut’, and ( = modern 7; SS1984:344; KJ1970:607. Suggest taking as
small bit of meat / .
1490 ‘resemble’), taken in one view as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘make small’, giving Mnemonic: USE KNIFE TO PARE MEAT INTO
‘shave/plane, whittle down’ (Ogawa, Tōdō), or in
similar vein, ‘cut off meat’ (Shirakawa, taking REDUCED SMALL BITS
as ‘small piece of meat’ [treating as 38 ‘small,

柵1386 SAKU, shigarami/mu OBI , seal . Has 73 ‘wood, tree’, and
L1 fence, stockade, 884 (originally, different-sized turtle shells tied
together after use in divination, for writing on;
entangle, weir ‘book, volume’) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘uneven bundles’, giving ‘fence made
9 strokes of unequal size bundles of wood.’ ‘Entangle’
is an extended meaning. MS1995:v1:658-60;
TESSAKU iron railing OT1968:499; TA1965:483-6.
SAKUgaki fence
shigarami weir Mnemonic: MAKE A FENCE WITH BUNDLES

OF BOUND WOODEN BOOKS

410 The Remaining 1130 Characters

索1387 SAKU added at bronze stage suggests the work was
L1 rope, search done inside a hut or other such building (Gu).

10 strokes was borrowed for its sound value in early
Chinese to write another homophonous word
SAKUIN index meaning ‘search, enquire into’. KJ1970:438-9;
SHISAKU speculation MS1995:v2:1006-7; AS2007:486,482. Suggest
TESSAKU cable upper part as roof with cross (i.e. church), and
use ‘threads’ 29.
Bronze ; seal . OBI occurrences have
2003 ‘hand’, or two hands, with another ele- Mnemonic: SEARCH FOR ROPE AND FIND
ment representing plant fibers/threads, giving
‘twist fibers and make rope’; 30 ‘roof, cover’ THREAD UNDER CHURCH ROOF

1388 SAKU, su, suppai increased acidity due to accumulation of time’,
vinegar, sour thus ‘sour wine’ (Mizukami). In either interpreta-
L1 12 strokes tion, ‘vinegar’ is an extended sense. Note: set-
ting aside minor differences in interpretation,
SAKUSAN acetic acid has the original core meaning of cutting into
su no mono pickles wood or other material with an instrument such
suzuke pickling as an ax, giving ‘make’ as an extended sense
(see also 141). OT1968:1027; MS1995:v2:1348-
Bronze ; seal . Has 318 ‘wine’ (origi- 9,v1:18-20.
nally pictograph of wine jar’), and (‘make’;
see Note below) as phonetic with associated Mnemonic: VINEGAR IS MADE FROM SOUR
sense taken as i] ‘purse the lips’, giving ‘sour
wine’ (Ogawa), or ii] ‘accumulate’, giving ‘wine of WINE

搾1389 SAKU, shiboru phonetic, giving ‘apply pressure, press’. Since
L1 wring, press is a kokuji and by definition was not brought

13 strokes over from China, the graph as a whole has no
on reading proper to reflect original Chinese
SAKUSHU exploitation pronunciation, but it has assumed the on read-
ASSAKU pressure ing of . OT1968:426; GY2008:1147. We sug-
shiboritoru extract gest taking the elements as ‘hand’ 34, ‘hole’

A graph devised in Japan (kokuji; see Introduc- 860, and ‘make’ (see 141 and 1388).
tion), not in China itself. Has 34 ‘hand’, and
NJK ‘narrow; press/coerce’ as semantic and Mnemonic: MAKE A HOLE BY PRESSING WITH

HAND

錯1390 SAKU Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 16
L1 mix up, confuse ‘metal’, and 346 ‘formerly, days of old’ as
phonetic with associated sense ‘put on top, pile
16 strokes up’, thus ‘plate, coat with metal’. TA1965:364-7;
OT1968:1045; KJ1985:633.
SAKUGO mistake
SAKKAKU illusion Mnemonic: IN OLDEN TIMES METALS WERE
TŌSAKU perversion
OFTEN MIXED UP

The Remaining 1130 Characters 411

咲1391 saku 537). Later, 22 ‘mouth’ was added as a
L2 bloom, blossom determinative to distinguish in writing when
‘laugh’ was intended and not ‘thistle’. The
9 strokes top element, 58 ‘bamboo’, was further
changed (perhaps in error) resulting in the
SHIKIzaki perennial shape , or in printed texts (some having
osozaki late blooming slightly different forms) often or typically to
sakinokoru stay in bloom
. ‘Bloom’ seems the dominant Japanese us-
Late, post-Shuowen graph; traditional . age for , though ‘laugh’ is retained in Chi-
Initially written 芺, a graph originally mean- nese. KJ1970:85-6; YK1976:272; OT1968:181;
ing ‘thistle’; later sometimes written , and FC1977:161-2. Take as ‘heaven’ 62, and
borrowed for convenience to write a differ- 70 as ‘open’.
ent word that at an earlier stage of Chinese
was of similar pronunciation and meant ‘act Mnemonic: HEAVENLY FLOWERS OPEN
coquettishly’, and by extension ‘laugh’ (see
MOUTHS TO BLOSSOM FORTH

刹1392 SATSU, SETSU Initially (OBI and bronze), quite probably the
L1 temple same graph as 515 ‘kill’ q.v., but diverg-
ing later. For 剎/ , a ritualistic origin seems
8 strokes likely, as Shirakawa suggests. Borrowed in
Chinese for its sound value to represent a
MEISATSU famed temple Buddhist loanword from Sanskrit with mean-
SETSUNA moment, instant ings that include ‘pillar’, ‘temple’, hence its
SETSUNATEKI fleeting frequent use in Japanese also in Buddhist
terms. SS1984:511; ZZ1671:v1:169. Take as
Late, post-Shuowen graph. Etymology ‘crossed’, and as ‘wood’ 73.
uncertain. Has 198 ‘knife’, and or 杀
(old dictionaries and commentators fluctu- Mnemonic: THERE ARE CROSSED WOODEN

ate between the two), which shows a wild SWORDS IN THAT TEMPLE

animal laid out after being slaughtered.

拶1393 SATSU A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 34 ‘hand’,
L1 imminent (but used and with associated sense ‘split, break up’
(the lower right-hand element is originally
only in greeting
/ 209 ‘flesh’), giving ‘(device for) applying
[aisatsu]) pressure to the hand’, i.e. an instrument of
torture. By extension, ‘press, apply pressure’.
9 strokes Adopted into the expanded Jōyō kanji for writ-
ing the common word AISATSU ‘greeting’;
AISATSU greeting use of in this word represents Japanese-
BUAISATSU discourtesy only loan usage. It is unclear as to how its
AISATSUJŌ written notice present dictionary meaning of ‘imminence’
came about. GY2008:828-9; OT1968:412. We
suggest taking as ‘waves’ (for a pun) and
as ‘evening’ 46.

Mnemonic: WAVES HAND IN THE EVENING AS

GREETING

412 The Remaining 1130 Characters

撮1394 SATSU, toru, tsumamu 1974 ‘defy, attack’ (traditional form: ) over
L1 pluck, pinch, take 317 ‘take’, giving ‘seize in the hand, take without
permission’. Later, the determinative 34 ‘hand’
15 strokes was added, resulting in . The kun reading
tsumamu ‘pinch’ retains some of the original
SATSUEI photography meaning of this graph, while the sense ‘take
torinaosu retake (photos)’ represents a Japanese-only usage.
tsumamigui corrupt, ‘graft’ KJ1970:501-2; OT1968:428.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Originally writ- Mnemonic: PINCHED HAND TAKES THE MOST
ten 510 (‘most’ q.v.), made up of 冃 (‘cover,

headgear’), taken here as abbreviation for

擦1395 SATSU, suru/reru A very late post-Shuowen graph. Has 34
L1 rub, chafe, brush ‘hand’, and 516 (‘judge, realize’) as phonetic
with associated sense taken as i] ‘rub’ (Katō,
17 strokes Shirakawa), or ii] ‘notched, rough’ (Ogawa), in
either case giving the overall meaning ‘rub, pol-
SAKKASHŌ abrasion ish’. According to Katō, the right-hand phonetic
surechigau brush past element is a substitute for earlier 1366
surikomu rub in (both being near-homophones in early Chi-
nese). KJ1970:416; SS1984:349; OT1968:432.

Mnemonic: REALISE ONE’S HAND IS CHAFED

桟1396 SAN giving ‘plank walkway’ (Shirakawa), or ii] ‘long
L1 spar, beam, frame and slender’, giving ‘hanging bridge’ (Ogawa).
Meanings given by Schuessler for this graph
10 strokes are somewhat different (‘shed made of inter-
twined branches’ and ‘carriage box made of
SANbashi jetty lath or bamboo’), but still there appears to be
SAjiki* stand, balcony some consistency in the general shape of the
SANDŌ walkway of planks materials involved. SS1984:351; OT1968:504;
AS2007:605; MS1995:v1:536-9.
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional .
Has 73 ‘wood, tree’, and (‘harm, injure’ Mnemonic: FRAME MADE USING TWO
[original OBI graph has two opposing halberds]:
see 520/545) as phonetic with associated sense WOODEN HALBERDS AS SPARS
taken either as i] ‘small, thin items joined up’,

惨1397 SAN, ZAN, mugoi, nally, ‘woman adorned with hairpins’; now ‘go,
L1 mijime attend’) as phonetic with associated sense
taken either as i] ‘needle, hairpin’ (Katō), or ii]
cruel, miserable ‘pierce, penetrate’ (Ogawa), either way giv-
ing overall meaning ‘feel as if stabbed in the
11 strokes heart with a needle’. ‘Cruel’ and ‘miserable’ are
extended meanings. KJ1970:441; OT1968:375;
SANGEKI tragedy MS1995:v1:626-7.
ZANSATSU massacre
HISAN misery Mnemonic: CRUELTY ATTENDED BY FEELINGS

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . OF MISERY
Has 164 ‘heart, feelings’, and 517 (origi-

The Remaining 1130 Characters 413

傘1398 SAN, kasa A late, post-Shuowen graph. Based on a
L1 umbrella,parasol pictograph of an opened umbrella or parasol.
OT1968:76; SS1984:352. Suggest as ‘ten’ 35
12 strokes plus ’person’ 41 x 4 as ‘four (people)’.

SANKA- affiliated Mnemonic: UMBRELLA COVERS FOURTEEN
amagasa umbrella PERSONS!
higasa parasol

斬1399 ZAN, kiru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Analyses
L1 kill by sword/ blade, diverge. One view takes as 33 ‘vehicle’
and 1233 ‘ax; cut, chop’, to give ‘cut timber
behead and make a cart/carriage’ (Gu, Shirakawa).
Alternatively, analyzed as ‘ax; cut’ with
11 strokes as phonetic with associated sense ‘cut off
(with halberd)’, giving ‘cut off with ax’ (Katō).
kiriai crossing swords GY2008:603-4; KJ1970:632.
ZANSHU decapitation
tsujigiri beheading stranger Mnemonic: CHOPPING UP VEHICLE LEADS TO

BEHEADING

暫1400 ZAN, shibaraku Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 66
L1 a while, briefly ‘day’, and 1399 (‘behead, kill’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘a little’, giving ‘a short
15 strokes time; for the moment’. TA1965:853; KJ1970:443;
OT1968:474; WD1974:367-8.
ZANTEITEKI tentative
ZANJI short time Mnemonic: THIS DAY, IN A WHILE, I AM TO BE
shibarakushite after a while
BEHEADED – HOW BRIEF IS LIFE

旨1401 SHI, mune, umai the mouth and think it good’, i.e. ‘tasty, deli-
L1 good, tasty, gist cious’. By the seal stage, was established
as the lower element, but subsequently this
6 strokes was changed in shape to 66 ‘day, sun’; at
that stage, the difference in shape between
umaku smartly, cleverly
umami flavor and was quite small. The graph
HONSHI main purpose was borrowed as a convenient way of writ-
ing a homophonous word in early Chinese
OBI ; seal . Has ‘spoon’ or possibly meaning ‘basic idea, gist’. MS1995:v1:608-
(OBI and bronze stages) (in its original 9,154-5,v2:864-6; KJ1970:465; SS1984:363;
sense ‘pronged spoon’; see 522) over what AS2007:617. We suggest taking the upper part
at the OBI stage was typically 22 ‘mouth’ as a sitting person and the lower as sun.
or – less commonly – 1139 (‘sweet’: original
sense ‘have something in the mouth and think Mnemonic: THE GIST IS THAT THIS PERSON
it good’), either way giving ‘put something in
THINKS IT’S GOOD TO SIT IN SUN

414 The Remaining 1130 Characters

伺1402 SHI, ukagau ‘one who spies’ (Katō, Tōdō). Most meanings
L2 visit, seek, ask, hear, of this graph as used in modern Japanese ap-
pear to derive from its original sense ‘watch,
inquire investigate’. Alternatively, has been taken
as semantic as well as phonetic in function,
7 strokes giving ‘one who is in charge’ (Ogawa); this
analysis finds some support in Schuessler,
ukagaigoto inquiry who notes as having a meaning ‘supervi-
SHIKŌ courtesy call sor’ in bronze texts. KJ1970:457-8; TA1965:119;
ukagaiSHO letter of inquiry OT1968:54; AS2007:477.

Seal ; a late graph (later version of Shuow- Mnemonic: ADMINISTRATIVE PERSON
en). Has 41 ‘person’, and 524 (‘adminis-
ter, take charge’) as phonetic with associated INQUIRES ABOUT VISITING, WE HEAR
sense taken as ‘look carefully, spy on’, giving

刺1403 SHI, sasu/saru, toge Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 198
L2 pierce, stab, thorn ‘knife, sword; cut’, and NJK 883 ‘thorn’,
and by extension ‘sharp, pointed weapon’
8 strokes as semantic and phonetic, giving ‘stab and
wound’. QX2000:182; KJ1970:478; OT1968:116;
MEISHI name card AS2007:199. As with 883, we suggest taking
sashimi sashimi (raw fish)
togenuki tweezers as ‘tree with droopy branches’.

Mnemonic: GET PIERCED BY THORN WHEN

CUTTING DROOPY TREE BRANCHES

祉1404 SHI OBI ; seal . Has / 723 ‘show’ in its
L1 well-being, happiness original sense ‘offering table, altar’, and
143 ‘stop, stay,’ as semantic and phonetic,
8 strokes giving ‘the deity descends and stays, (thus)
bestowing favor’, hence ‘good fortune’.
SHIFUKU well-being MS1995:v2:940-41; OT1968:719; GY2008:741.
FUKUSHI welfare
Mnemonic: STAYING AT THE ALTAR BRINGS

HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING

肢1405 SHI Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). The main
L1 limb, part heading in Shuowen has 胑, with listed just
as an alternative form. has / 209 ‘meat,
8 strokes flesh; body’ and 717 ‘branch’ as semantic
and phonetic, giving ‘the limbs’. OT1968:817;
SHITAI the limbs AS2007:614; SS1984:367.
KASHI lower limbs
SENTAKUSHI option Mnemonic: LIMBS ARE BRANCHES OF THE BODY

The Remaining 1130 Characters 415

施1406 SHI, SE, hodokosu Seal . Has CO 353 ‘flagpole, flag on pole’,
L1 perform, charity and 184 (originally, pictograph of a long,
crawling insect, a snake) as phonetic with as-
9 strokes sociated sense ‘winding, fluttering’, giving ‘flag
flutters’; ‘bestow’ and ‘carry out, perform’ are
SHISETSU facilities loan usages. Mizukami lists a proposed bronze
JISSHI implementation equivalent also. MS1995:v2:600-601,24-5;
SEYAKUSHO charity dispensary KJ1970:465; OT1968:455. Suggest taking as
‘side’ 223 and as ‘person’ 41.

Mnemonic: PERSON SHOWS CHARITY TO

TWISTING CREATURE AT THEIR SIDE

恣1407 SHI, hoshiimama ways, including i] ‘unevenness’, giving ‘, ’uneven-
L1 selfish,arbitrary, ness of heart’ (Tōdō), and ii] ‘extravagant’, giving
‘extravagance of heart’ (Ogawa); both i] and ii],
Indulgent therefore, give the meaning ‘wilful, wayward’.
Another view takes as being an abbrevi-
10 strokes ated writing for 888 ‘form, appearance’ as
semantic and phonetic, giving ‘weak/undisci-
SHII arbitrariness, self-will plined spirit’ (Katō). TA1965:774; OT1968:369;
SHIITEKI selfish, arbitrary KJ1970:467-8.
HŌSHI self-indulgence
Mnemonic: NEXT FEELINGS ARE SURE TO BE
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has ‘heart,
mind, feelings’ 164, and 308 (‘next’) as SELFISH AND INDULGENT
phonetic with associated sense taken in several

脂1408 SHI, abura, yani Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has /
L2 fat, grease, resin 209 ‘meat, flesh’, and 1401 (‘tasty; gist’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘packed tightly’,
10 strokes giving ‘meat dense in nature’, i.e. ‘(animal) fat’.
OT1968:821; TA1965:747; GY2008:1094.
SHIBŌ fat
aburake greasiness Mnemonic: FAT IS TASTY MEAT
yanime ‘gummy’ eyes

紫1409 SHI, murasaki – bronze form suggesting person unable
L1 purple to walk properly (Katō, Mizukami) – plus
143 ‘footprint’ as semantic and phonetic, thus
12 strokes ‘unable to walk’/ ‘cripple’. Bronze form can also
be taken as ‘foot’ ( ) detached from person,
SHIEN tobacco smoke also signifying ‘unable to move’ (Ogawa). This
murasakiiro purple may lead to ‘stay in this place’, then just ‘this’.
SHIGAISEN ultraviolet rays Ogawa, however, treats ‘this’ as a loan usage.
MS1995:v2:1010-11,v1:702-3; TA1965:775;
Bronze ; seal . Has 29 ‘thread’, and KJ1970:471; OT1968:774,538; WD1974:720-23.
(NJK ‘this’; see Note below) as phonetic with Take as ‘sitting person’, as ‘foot/stop’.
associated sense ‘mixed randomly, unevenly’,
giving ‘thread of (colors) mixed randomly/ Mnemonic: PERSON STOPS, SITS, AND TIES
unevenly’, here primary color blue mixed
with red giving secondary color ‘purple’. Note: PURPLE THREAD ON FOOT
in one view, has modified 41 ‘person’

416 The Remaining 1130 Characters

嗣1410 SHI, tsugu the unusual positioning of the element of
L1 heir, succeed to in one particular bronze occurrence of .

13 strokes This is noted by Katō, who, along with others,
takes this graph as 884 ‘bound volumes’
SHISHI heir with 524 ‘regulate’, thus ‘put bamboo writ-
KŌSHI heir ing strips in continuous order’; by extension,
KŌSHI Crown Prince ‘succeed (someone), inherit’. Mizukami also lists
proposed OBI equivalents. MS1995:v1:242-4;
Bronze ; seal . Bronze forms vary, some KJ1970:458; OT1968:192; AS2007:564.
having 22 ‘mouth/opening’ twice, lead-
ing to same in seal form. Reason for doubling Mnemonic: BOUND VOLUMES ARE
of in some cases is not clear: it may be an
extraneous element added under influence of REGULATED BY HEIR

雌1411 SHI, mesu, me thus ‘female bird’. Other associated senses for
L1 female as phonetic in include ‘matched with (a

14 strokes partner)’ (listed by Mizukami). Sense general-
ized to ‘female (of birds, game, etc.)’. Mizukami
SHIYŪ gender lists proposed OBI and bronze equivalents also.
meushi cow, heifer KJ1970:265; SS1984:376; MS1995:v2:1408-9.
meinu bitch Suggest taking as ‘sitting person’, 143 as
‘stop’.
Seal . Has 324 ‘short-tailed bird, bird’,
and (NJK ‘this’; see 1409 Note) as phonetic Mnemonic: FEMALE PERSON STOPS AND
with associated sense typically taken as ‘small’,
giving ‘smaller bird (compared with male)’, SITS, AND BIRD COMES ALONG

摯1412 SHI OBI ; seal . Has 34 ‘hand’, and 1424
L1 serious, sincere, reach, ‘take, grasp’ as semantic and phonetic, thus
‘catch, seize’. Devised to represent a word in
take, hold early Chinese which was closely related to
that represented by . Modern meanings
15 strokes of ‘sincere, serious’ are probably loan us-
age. SS1984:377; OT1968:427; AS2007:616;
SHINSHI ni sincerely GY2008:1029; DJ2009:v3:978.
SHINSHIKANTŌ hard fight

Mnemonic: GRASP HANDS AS A SIGN OF
SINCERITY

賜1413 SHI, tamawaru bestow’. At the bronze stage, 10 ‘shell (cur-
L1 bestow rency), valuables’ was added to clarify this ex-
tended meaning (Gu). An alternative view takes
15 strokes the element in as phonetic with associ-
ated sense ‘push away from oneself’ (Mizukami),
SHIKA furlough giving ‘push something one owns towards
ONSHI imperial gift someone else’, and ‘bestow’ as an extended
tamamono* gift, boon sense. GY2008:1438; AS2007:566,569,199;
MS1995:v2:1244-5.
Bronze ; seal . The OBI form has just
647 ‘change; easy’, a graph taken in one view Mnemonic: BESTOWAL IS EASILY CHANGED
as originally signifying liquid being trans- TO SHELL-MONEY
ferred or changed from one vessel to another
(Gu, Schuessler), and by extension (Gu) ‘give, The Remaining 1130 Characters 417

諮1414 SHI, hakaru ‘mouth’ but ‘prayer receptacle’, giving (in his
L1 consultation, seeking view) ‘inquire of the deities’. Note 2: In mod-
ern Japanese usage, is used for hakaru in
advice, inquiry the sense ‘formally inquire’, as at a committee
meeting. Note 3: In socio-cultural terms the
16 strokes Japanese use consultations and seek advice
a lot more than do Westerners, not normally
SHIJUN consultation from lawyers (in fact, litigation is relatively
SHIMON inquiry rare) but from seniors, often a section head
SHIMONKIKAN advisory body or manager at their workplace. Doing things
in the prescribed way is important, and or-
Seal ( ) ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has NJK thodoxy is greatly respected, and – perhaps
(‘inquire’), the original meaning of which on a somewhat defensive note – it also helps
diffuse responsibility if things go wrong. We
was ‘sigh, lament’ (Schuessler), but it was suggest taking as ‘next, follow’ 308 and
then used also to represent a separate word
meaning ‘inquire, initiate discussion’. To as ‘mouth’, or alternatively ‘opening’.
indicate clearly in writing when the graph
was being used in the latter sense, 118 Mnemonic: IN AN INQUIRY, ONE MOUTH IS
‘words; speak’ was added. GY2008:916;
AS2007:311 SS1984:378,367. Note 1: OPENED TO SPEAK, THEN THE NEXT
consists of ‘mouth; say’ 22, and 308
(‘next’) as phonetic with associated sense Or: IN CONSULTATION, WORDS FOLLOW
taken by Shirakawa as ‘open the mouth and
lament’, though Shirakawa prefers to take the WORDS – NEED AN OPENING!
idiosyncratic view of treating here not as

侍1415 JI, samurai, haberu (one who attends upon his lord) evolved as an
L1 attend upon, serve additional, Japanese-only usage. KJ1970:480-
81; TA1965:70-71; OT1968:60; AS2007:467. As
8 strokes mnemonic, we suggest two approaches: the
first treating the elements person and tem-
JIJŪ chamberlain ple ; the second taking the ‘temple’ apart
JIJO lady-in-waiting and treating the graph as ‘soil, ground’ 64
JISŌ acolyte and ‘hand’ 920.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 Mnemonic: PERSON IN ATTENDANCE AT
‘person’, plus 149 (‘temple’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘serve, wait upon’ (Tōdō TEMPLE IS A SAMURAI
says ‘remain in the one place [in attendance]’),
giving ‘one who serves’. The sense ‘samurai’ Or: PERSON SERVING HAS SOILED HANDS !!

滋1416 JI OBI ; seal ; traditional forms , 仁.
L1 luxuriant, rich, Note similarity in shape has historically
caused fluctuation (and no doubt confu-
strengthen sion) between (NJK; original meaning:
‘abundant shoots of vegetation’) and (NJK;
12 strokes original meaning: ‘thread dyed twice’) as the
right-hand element, both then merging as
JIYŌ nourishment (on this point, see 1417 Note); Zhengzitong
JIMI savoriness has 仁 as the heading character, and notes
JIU welcome rain as an alternative form. Views vary, though all

418 The Remaining 1130 Characters

agree that one component is / 42 ‘water’ in 1416 only a phonetic role with associated
(occasionally ‘river’). The OBI form has ‘water, sense unclear, taking the whole graph to
river’ with ‘fine threads’, which Mizukami represent a river name (in modern Honan
treats as the original way of writing Province) and taking ‘luxuriant’ as a loan
‘abundant shoots of vegetation’, leading to usage (Katō); in taking this approach, Katō
his view of as ‘river with luxuriant foliage follows the Shuowen, even though he sees
(nearby)’. Another view takes right-hand when functioning as an independent graph to
have the meaning ‘new shoots of vegetation
in 仁 as semantic and phonetic with the grow luxuriantly’. Other interpretations of
meaning ‘increase’, giving ‘water increases’ the convoluted etymology of this graph also
(Ogawa); Tōdō also regards ‘increase’ as the exist. ZZ1671:v1:681; MS1995:v2:1116-7,772-
associated sense in this graph. ‘Increase’ thus
stands as an extended or generalized sense 3,v1:446-9; TA1965:114; KJ1970:32-4.
regarding the above interpretations of earlier
forms of . In contrast, another view takes Mnemonic: DOUBLE THREAD OF
right-hand (seal form onwards) as having
RIVER-WATER BRINGS LUXURIANT GROWTH

慈1417 JI, itsukushimu zitong has the form with as the phonetic in
L1 love, pity, affection its entry heading, but notes the way of writing
the phonetic with instead as an alterna-
13 strokes tive for this graph which is historically valid
also. Note: main heading for this graph in
JIHI mercy Zhengzitong has the uppermost four strokes
JIZEN charity of the phonetic with the two horizontal
JIAI benevolence strokes written as one; from this, it was just a
small step to take to write the three strokes
Bronze ; seal . Has 164 ‘heart, mind’, at the top in the same way as in modern .
with phonetic element which, due to similar MS1995:v1:520-21; KJ1970:34; OT1968:381;
shape historically, shows fluctuation between ZZ1671:453-4.

(NJK; orig meaning: ‘abundant shoots Mnemonic: DOUBLE THREADS OF LOVE AND
of vegetation’) and (NJK; orig meaning:
‘thread dyed twice’), but in either case with PITY IN ONE’S HEART
same associated sense ‘raise caringly’. Zheng-

餌1418 JI, esa, e serves as phonetic with associated sense
L1 food, bait, lure ‘soft’ (Ogawa). In the case of , the graph
15 strokes (餌) thus consists of / 163 ‘food; eat’, com-
bining with as phonetic to give ‘food/
餌 eJIKI food, bait, prey rice softened (by cooking), rice-cakes’.
餌 KŌJI tempting offer/bait Later, a semantic shift took place, giving
餌 torie bird seed rise to the more specific sense ‘animal feed’.
OT1968:1116; SS1985:385; GY2008:905;
Seal forms i] ; ii] ( ) . The first seal form DJ2009:v1:241.
given here appears in the Shuowen entry
heading for this graph, with ii] noted as an Mnemonic: IF YOU WANT FOOD, TRY EATING
alternative way of writing. In ii], 31 (‘ear’)
EARS!

The Remaining 1130 Characters 419

璽1419 JI mented by 15 ’jade, precious stone’, later
L1 imperial seal came to be used (once more), this time to
specifically denote ‘Imperial seal’ as opposed
19 strokes to lesser seals. The element reflects the
widespread (but not exclusive) use of jade
GYOJI imperial seal for Imperial seals; sometimes bronze was
KOKUJI seal of state used instead. Note: is typically taken to
INJI imperial seal be based on pictograph of a spinning device
for winding thread onto, though Mizukami
Seal ( ) . Main entry heading in Shuowen notes an alternative view which takes it as
has , and the equivalent of is treated in a seal with handle having cords attached.
that work as an older writing. has 64 KJ1970:484-5; DJ2009:v3:1117; OT1968:662;
‘earth’ (here, ‘clay’), and (NJK, ‘you, so’, etc.; MS1995:v2:822-4; OT1968:662.
see Note below) as phonetic with associated
sense usually taken as ‘push, press’, thus ‘de- Mnemonic: JEWELED IMPERIAL SEAL
vice for making impressions’. Seal impression
was into soft clay. The graph , consisting of INCLUDES FOUR CROSSES
the same phonetic as in , but comple-

鹿1420 shika, ROKU, ka OBI ; seal . Based on pictograph of stag
L1 deer and antlers. GY2008:1298; MR2007:416;
MS1995:v2:1502-3. Suggest as antlers,
11 strokes as ‘compare’ 792, as ‘building’ 127.

shikagawa deerskin Mnemonic: DEERS COMPARE ANTLERS
ojika buck, stag INSIDE BUILDING
BAka idiot

軸1421 JIKU Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 33
L1 axle, shaft, scroll ‘vehicle’, and 421 (‘reason, means’) with
associated sense ‘stick out, project’, giving
12 strokes ‘center pole projecting out through wheel’, i.e.
‘axle’. TA1965:188; OT1968:984; GY2008:829;
SHAJIKU axle DJ2009:v3:1173.
CHIJIKU earth’s axis
JIKUmono scroll picture Mnemonic: AXLE IS REASON WHY VEHICLE

MOVES

叱1422 SHITSU, shikaru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 22
L2 scold, rebuke ‘mouth; speak’, and 32 (‘seven’) as pho-
netic, serving as onomatopoeic to represent
5 strokes clicking sound made with the tongue when
scolding someone. SS1984:387; OT1968:163;
SHISSEI correction DJ2009:v1:117.
SHITTA scolding, urging
SHISSEKI reprimand Mnemonic: SCOLDED SEVEN TIMES

疾1423 SHITSU OBI ; bronze ; seal . The OBI form has
L1 illness, swiftly a person, drawn in a shape similar to 56
‘big’, so that an arrow 145 can be shown
10 strokes pointing up into the armpit, to signify ‘wound-
ed by an arrow’ This same shape occurs in
SHIKKAN disease bronze also; another bronze form (shown
SHISSŌ suru scamper above), in addition to ‘arrow’, has a pictograph
tokku ni quite a while ago

420 The Remaining 1130 Characters

(profile) for ‘bed’ with a stroke added, taken but may relate to the swift onset of disease
as abbreviated shape to represent ‘person’ / infection. MS1995:v2:890-91,886-8,928-9;
or ‘quilt’ (ancestral form of 404 ‘sick-bed, KJ1970:488-9; MR2007:375; OT1968:677.
sickness’), providing what was to become
the standard for this graph at the seal stage, Mnemonic: ILLNESS STRIKES AS SWIFTLY AS
in Shuowen. Other meanings such as ‘swiftly’ AN ARROW
are probably best regarded as loan usages,

執1424 SHITSU, SHŪ, toru outstretched, and the other element as wood-
L1 take, grasp en handcuffs; OBI forms do seem to support
this view rather than that which takes instead
11 strokes as early equivalent of , the OBI equivalent
of which is quite different from that in .
SHIPPITSU writing Qiu’s commentary on the block script form
SHŪNEN tenacity is that the wooden handcuffs were by then
torinasu mediate written as , which happens (by chance) to
be the same shape as 295 ‘good fortune’,
OBI ; seal . Katō takes one element as and the element 丮 ‘person with outstretched
a person with arms outstretched, signifying arms’ became confused with 101 (‘round’),
‘seize, take’, which by the seal stage became the latter prevailing. The handcuffs view
stylized to a shape approximating 丮 905 has wide support (Qiu, Gu, Ogawa, Tōdō).
(‘arms outstretched’), along with another KJ1970:355-6; QX2000:190,187; GY2008:246;
element seen as the ancestral form of (NJK; OT1968:218; MS1995:v1:272-3,v2:1382-3.
later meaning a gouging instrument, ‘chisel’),
but here as an instrument of punishment, and Mnemonic: GOOD FORTUNE IS ROUNDED
by extension ‘criminal’; and he gives overall
meaning as ‘seize a criminal’. Another view of OFF BY TAKING A CAPTIVE

also takes an element as person with arms

湿1425 SHITSU, shimeru/su are treated as separate graphs in Shuowen,
L2 damp, moist, humid later they became confused, and the river
name graph came to be used in the sense
12 strokes ‘wet’. The simplified is perhaps based on a
cursive form of . Note: a historical variant
SHITSUDO humidity once used for is , with upper element
SHITCHI marshland
shimeppoi damp, dismal mistakenly written as 63 ‘field’, and
lower 29 (threads) simplified to , though
Seal ; traditional . This graph originally
represented the name of a river, comprising is in essence a separate graph originally
denoting a river name (different from the
/ 42 ‘water’, here ‘river’, plus 㬎 as phonet- one referred to by ). The variant need
ic. Separate from , there was another graph not concern us here, but it does show the
溼 meaning ‘wet ground, wet’, comprising complicated historical usage around / .
water plus 64 ‘earth, ground’, plus , MS1995:v2:772-3; QX2000:311-2; TA1965:789-
typically taken to mean ‘cut threads’ (Tōdō 92; KJ1970:518; DJ2009:v3:884,915;
takes instead as threads below horizontal line SK1984:462; FC1974:v1:1352. Take as ‘sun’
representing surface of water), as phonetic 66, as ‘damp’, and 业 as ‘steam rising’.
with associated sense ‘wet, soak in water’. At
OBI and bronze stages, the ancestral form Mnemonic: SUN ON DAMP GROUND MAKES
of 溼 lacked element . Though 溼 and
STEAM RISE – WHAT HUMIDITY!

The Remaining 1130 Characters 421

嫉1426 SHITSU, sonemu, Also, however, Shuowen notes an alternative
L1 netamu form with 37 ‘woman’, i.e. , and over time
this gained currency to the point where it
jealousy, envy eclipsed . The favored form of this graph is a
reminder that modern viewpoints and values
SHITTO13 strokes envy are irrelevant to the environment in early
jealousy, China in which graphs evolved, and possibly
at times may even prove to be a hindrance to
SHISSHI jealous eye our understanding of the historical realities.
SS1984:388; OT1968:262; DJ2009:v2:659;
sonemibukai envious GY2008:1672; AS2007:294.

Seal (㑵) . As the entry heading, Shuowen Mnemonic: A WOMAN SO JEALOUS SHE
has what today would generally be regarded
as a graph of more equitable structure than FALLS ILL

, consisting of 41 ‘person’, plus 1423
(‘illness’) with associated sense ‘be jealous,
hate’, giving ‘person who is jealous/hates’.

漆1427 SHITSU, urushi already included a component indicating
L1 lacquer, varnish a liquid; note, though, that the entry 桼 in
Shuowen does explain this graph as a picto-
14 strokes graph relating to liquid, meaning ‘tree sap’.
itself is defined in Shuowen as being a river
SHIKKI lacquerware name, but this is a later loan use of the graph.
SHIKKOKU jet black Lacquerware of an extremely high standard
urushinuri lacquering was being produced in China as early as
the Han Dynasty. DJ2009:v3:876,v2:500-01;
Seal . Originally written 桼 depicting drop- MS1995:v2:776-7; GY2008:1755,1202;
lets of liquid (lacquer) dripping down from KJ1970:178; OT1968:603-4. We suggest taking
a tree 73, signifying ‘lacquer tree’ and by
extension ‘lacquer’. According to Katō, / as a multi-branched tree.
42 ‘water, liquid’ was added as a determina-
tive at the seal stage because it was no longer Mnemonic: EXTRA WATERY LACQUER FROM
realized that the lower part of the graph 桼
A MULTI-BRANCHED TREE

芝1428 shiba depicted originally (OBI stage) is disputed:
L1 turf, lawn interpretations include that it represented
i] vegetation newly emerged above the
6 strokes ground, or ii] a foot trying to advance be-
yond a demarcating line. Either way, ‘go’ is
shibafu* lawn taken to be an extended sense; in the case
shibai show, drama of ii], initially ‘advance with difficulty’, then
shibakariki lawn mower generalized to ‘advance’, go’; apart from ‘go’,
this graph is also used as a convenient way of
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 53 writing several grammatical function words.
‘plant, vegetation, grass’, and (‘go’; see SS1984:365; MS1995:v1:18-19; GY2008:228.
Note below) as phonetic with associated We suggest taking as a zig-zag path.
sense ‘wondrous’, giving ‘wondrous plant’,
referring originally to a type of mushroom Mnemonic: ZIG-ZAG PATH CROSSES GRASSY
considered to promote longevity. ‘Turf, grass’
is a Japanese-only sense for this graph. Note: LAWN

is based on a pictograph. What exactly it

422 The Remaining 1130 Characters

赦1429 SHA Bronze ; seal . Has / 112‘hit (with whip/
L1 forgiveness stick)’, and 48 (‘red’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense‘cast aside’, giving‘cast aside the idea
11 strokes of whipping someone for their crime’, i.e.‘pardon,
forgive’. MS1995:v2:1252-3; OT1968:440.
YŌSHA forgiveness
SHAMEN clemency Mnemonic: BEATEN TILL RED, THEN SHOW
ONSHA amnesty FORGIVENESS

斜1430 SHA, naname Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 1766
L1 slant, diagonal ‘ladle, unit of measure’, and 820 (‘ample’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘scoop up’, giving
11 strokes ‘ladle out (water)’; the sense ‘slanting’ is a loan
usage. KJ1970:4-5; OT1968:449; GY2008:1282.
SHAMEN gradient, slope
SHAHŌKEI rhombus Mnemonic: DIAGONAL GIVES AMPLEST
nanametsugi miter joint MEASURE

煮1431 SHA, niru/eru/yasu Seal (䰞) . Seal shape is treated in Shuowen as
L1 boil, cook an old form with lower element meaning ‘(type
of ) cauldron’, and upper element as phonetic
12 strokes with associated sense ‘cook slowly in liquid’,
giving overall sense ‘cook slowly in liquid’. Later
SHAFUTSU boiling this complex graph was modified by retain-
namanie undercooked ing as phonetic and adding 8 ‘fire’ in its
nitateru bring to boil variant form , giving ; we find examples
of in clerical script onwards. DJ2009:v1:240;
遮1432 SHA, saegiru KJ1970:492-3; MS1995:v2:1482-3; SK1984:469;
L1 obstruct, interrupt OT1968:620.

14 strokes Mnemonic: PERSON BOILS SOMETHING OVER
FIRE
SHAKŌMAKU a shade
SHANIMUNI recklessly Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 85
SHADANKI crossing-gate ‘go, move’, and 1480 (‘multitude, variety’)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘obstruct,
prevent’, giving ‘obstruct movement’, then
generalized back to just ‘obstruct, prevent’.
OT1968:1011; GY2008:1745.

Mnemonic: VARIOUS THINGS CAN OBSTRUCT
MOVEMENT

The Remaining 1130 Characters 423

邪1433 JA writing a place name. The sense ‘evil’ for is a
L1 wickedness, evil, substitute usage in place of another graph 衺
(CO) originally meaning ‘diagonal component
wrong, unjust on front of a Chinese gown’, and by extension
‘not straight, bent’; 衺 was gradually used
8 strokes less, and was often employed in its place
in this extended sense (Qiu). QX2000:322;
JADŌ evil way, heterodoxy OT1968:1018; GY2008:253-4; DJ2009:v2:682;
MUJAKI (na) naïve(ty) MS1995:v2:1314-15.
FŪJA/kaze* a cold
Mnemonic: FANGS ARE BARED IN VILLAGE OF
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has right-hand
component 376 ‘village, place where people WICKEDNESS
live’, and 1090 (‘fang, tusk’) as phonetic with
associated sense unknown; originally, used in

蛇1434 JA, DA, hebi write a separate homophonous word mean-
L1 snake, serpent ing ‘others’, 60 ‘insect, worm, snake’ being
added at seal stage to indicate ‘snake’. Entry
11 strokes heading in Shuowen has , with noted
in text as variant. GY2008:1248; OT1968:885;
JAguchi faucet, tap MS1995:v2:358-9; DJ2009:v3:1106;
DAKŌ meander, zig-zag QX:2000:226. Take as sitting person under
hebikawa snakeskin roof.

Bronze ( ) ; seal forms , . Originally Mnemonic: PERSON SITS UNDER ROOF, BUT
pictograph of snake with large head, likely
a cobra. Later borrowed for convenience to ON AN ‘INSECT’ – NO, IT’S A SNAKE!

酌1435 SHAKU, kumu Bronze ; seal . Has ‘wine’ 318 (wine
L1 serve wine, drink, jar with lid), and ‘ladle; unit of measure’
(dropped from Jōyō kanji in 2010) as seman-
ladle, consider tic and phonetic, thus ‘ladle out, draw out’;
extended to ‘measure, consider’. SS1984:396;
10 strokes OT1968:1025; MS1995:v2:1344-5,v1:146-7.

SHAKUFU waitress Mnemonic: CONSIDER DRINKING WINE
BANSHAKU nightcap
SHAKURYŌ consideration SERVED BY LADLE

釈1436 SHAKU, tomu Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional
L1 explain, release form: . Widely taken as 215 (hand hold-
ing seeds), with (‘watch criminals, espy’;
11 strokes see Note below) as phonetic with associated
sense taken as i] ‘distinguish, discriminate’
KAISHAKU interpretation (Mizukami, Katō), thus ‘put in order what
SHAKUHŌ release has been divided up’, or ii] ‘divide’, thus
SHAKUMEI explanation ‘divide seeds’, extended to ‘release’ (Ogawa).

424 The Remaining 1130 Characters

Shirakawa, though, takes as claws of shape), meaning ‘criminal in handcuffs’, ei-
wild beast, with as showing corpse of ther way giving sense ‘watch/search for crim-
wild beast (top part ‘net’ taken here as inals’. MS1995:v2:1354-5,922-4; OT1968:1030;
showing head). ‘Explain’ is extended sense. KJ1970:95-6; SS1984:396. Suggest modern
Mizukami lists proposed older equivalent right side as person 41 with backpack,
for . Note: has 76 ‘eye’, plus
295 ’happiness’ taken either i] as phonetic as variant of ‘rice’ 220.
with associated sense ‘espy; look for’, or ii]
as separate graph from (though same Mnemonic: MAN EXPLAINS WHY HE HAS

RICE IN BACKPACK AND IS RELEASED

爵1437 SHAKU based on some of the early forms, a vessel
L1 peerage in the shape of a bird), or ‘hold wine vessel’.
The corresponding original block script
17 strokes equivalent of the seal form is taken to be
(Mizukami). Whether by accident or design,
SHAKUI peerage the uppermost element in seal has been
JUSHAKU ennoblement modified in block script to become 319
DANSHAKU baron ‘claw, hand’, and the complex 10-stroke ele-
ment has been changed to 㫐 (elsewhere
OBI ; seal ; traditional . The OBI forms, 㫐 is ‘food vessel’ piled with food [see e.g.
which are generally considered to depict 1177 and 1650]) and then modified to ,
a type of wine vessel, include an upper with as the common handwritten shape.
projecting element, perhaps a handle; some At the Imperial Court in ancient China,
occurrences show three legs and/or a small persons of rank were given sacred wine in
feature (commonly square-shaped) which ritual, hence ‘peerage’ as extended sense.
may be intended to represent a pattern MS1995:v2:1480-81,v1:192-3; QX2000:76;
or crest. Bronze forms vary in shape; one KJ1970:498-9; OT1968:631. We suggest tak-
depicts a three-legged vessel and a ‘hand’ ing and as two hands; as variant
‘bowl’ 300; and as simplified form of ‘food,
2003 next to it. The seal form is more eat’ 163.
complex, having a wine vessel, plus top ele-
ment (possibly a handle or lid), plus (then Mnemonic: PEER’S HANDS CLUTCH FOOD
later, 920 instead) ‘hand’, plus ‘fragrant
herb added to wine for the deities/fragrant BOWL
wine for the deities’. The overall meaning
is taken to be ‘wine vessel’ (in one view,

寂1438 JAKU, SEKI, sabi(shii) Seal ( ) . The Shuowen form has 30
L1 quiet, lonely ‘roof; building’, and 尗 (a CO graph noted in
Kangxi zidian as the original way of writing
11 strokes
1466 ‘uncle, younger brother’) as phonet-
SEIJAKU silence ic with associated sense ‘quiet, no voice of
SEKIBAKU no desolate humans’; the phonetic was later changed to
sabishisa loneliness
. Original overall meaning is ‘quiet inside
a house’, generalized to ‘quiet’, and by exten-
sion ‘lonely’. KJ1970:431-2; GY2008:1332,608.

Mnemonic: UNCLE IS LONELY IN QUIET

BUILDING

The Remaining 1130 Characters 425

朱1439 SHU the tree has been cut, showing the newly-cut
L1 vermilion, red, wood which is often reddish in color (Ogawa).
Shirakawa, alternatively, suggests that the
cinnabar blob-like dot might be a way to indicate a
method for extracting material from a tree
6 strokes for making the vermilion color, though it is
not clear what tree (or shrub) this would be.
SHUiro vermilion The seal equivalent for in Shuowen again
SHUNIKU red ink-pad has a thin horizontal stroke, and in clerical
SHUHITSU red pen, correct script we find examples close to the block
script equivalent with its top left-hand stroke
OBI ; seal . The OBI occurrences comprise
the pictograph for ‘tree’ 73, plus a centrally- ; no doubt this evolved as a way to help
placed element which is either a thin horizon- distinguish from other similar graphs such
tal stroke or a much shorter, thicker stroke. as once the top curved stroke of in seal
Katō is of the view that the version of this changed to a straight horizontal stroke in
graph with the shorter, thickish line (which the less embellished clerical script. The sense
he sees as a blob-like dot) is the original form ‘bright orange-red, vermilion’ appears to
(even though he bases this view on a later, reflect a minor semantic shift. MS1995:646-7;
bronze equivalent, in which thick strokes SS1984:399-400; OT1968:488; SK1984:395;
were more easily executed than when incising KJ1970:504. Suggest taking as a ribbon.
in OBI on bone with a knife), and serves as
phonetic, with associated sense ‘inside’, giving Mnemonic: VERMILION-RED RIBBON IN
‘the inside of a tree’. Perhaps more convincing
is the view that the role of this additional line TREETOP
(or blob-like dot) may have been to indicate

狩1440 SHU, karu/ri ‘collect and catch’, giving ‘collect together and
L1 hunt catch wild animals and birds’ (Ogawa), or ii]
‘surround’, giving ‘chase and catch wild animals
9 strokes and birds’ ((Tōdō). Mizukami lists proposed OBI
and bronze equivalents, though the phonetic
SHURYŌ hunting element (supposedly ) in these corresponds
kariinu hunting dog more to instead. OT1968:642; KJ1970:503-
karikomi round-up 04; MS1995:v2:840-41,v1:360-61.

Seal . Has 19 ‘dog’ (the variant is Mnemonic: DOG PROTECTS MASTER WHEN

sometimes used in the sense ‘wild animal OUT HUNTING

akin to dog’), and 316 (‘guard, protect’)

as phonetic with associated sense taken as i]

殊1441 SHU, koto(ni) Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 302/520
L1 (e)special ‘bone fragment’ (variant of 歺, having 96
‘bone crack, divining’, over piece of bone: see
10 strokes Note below), and 1439 (‘vermilion’ ) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘cut off, cut’, giving
TOKUSHU special ‘cut to death, kill’. The variant rather than
SHUSHŌ na laudable 歺 is common already in clerical script as the
kotosara especially determinative. Based on usage in an early clas-
sical text, Shirakawa feels ‘outstanding, special’
may be an extended sense of . Note: Katō,
however, takes 歺 as showing top of spine. Qiu
notes another possible origin of , stating ‘it

426 The Remaining 1130 Characters

first appeared [as independent graph] some- frontier town established ca.104BC in what is
time between the Song and Yuan dynasties’, now part of Inner Mongolia. KJ1970:505,312;
derived from shape of Tibetan letter read ta, MS1995:v1:708-9; SS1984:401; SK1984:427-
based on close cultural contact between Song 30; QX2000:170-71; GY2008:69; CS2000:61;
and Yuan dynasties. Note, however, that as a AS2007:470.
determinative in graphs such as the shape
Mnemonic: VERMILION-RED BONES ARE
was already commonly used as variant of
歺 from clerical script onwards, such as in texts SOMETHING SPECIAL
on wooden strips recovered from Juyan, a

珠1442 SHU Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 15 ‘jade,
L1 jewel, pearl precious stone’, and 1439 (‘vermilion’) as
phonetic with associated sense usually taken
10 strokes as ‘round ball’, thus ‘pearl’. Katō’ prefers to take
the original meaning as ‘jade round in shape’,
SHUGYOKU jewel and ‘pearl’ as a loan usage. The majority view
SHINJU pearl is probably the one to follow. OT1968:656;
JUZU* rosary SS1984:40; GY2008:980; KJ1970:505.

Mnemonic: PEARL IS A VERMILION-RED

JEWEL?!

腫1443 SHU, hareru/rasu Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has / 209
L1 swelling, tumor ‘flesh, body’, and 326 ‘heavy’ taken either i]
as semantic and phonetic (Tōdō, Gu), or ii] as
13 strokes phonetic with associated sense ‘collect, gather’
(Ogawa), both giving meaning ‘swell up’.
NIKUSHU sarcoma TA1965:291; GY2008:677; OT1968:825.
SHUYŌ tumor
haremono swelling, boil Mnemonic: BODY FEELS HEAVY WITH A

SWELLING TUMOR

趣1444 SHU, omomuki/ku based on usage of in bronze texts, takes
L1 gist, tendency, idea, the original meaning as ‘run, move quickly’
(Gu, Shirakawa; Shirakawa also notes ‘take’ as
proceed,view another meaning). Schuessler gives the early
meaning as ‘hasten to’. This latter sense ‘hasten
15 strokes towards, tend towards’ is reflected in the mean-
ings this graph has in Japanese such as ‘ten-
SHUMI hobby, interest, taste dency, gist’. QX2000:196; MS1995:v2:1258-9;
SHUI gist, view KJ1970:503; SS1984:402; GY2008:1779;
SHUKŌ plan, scheme, idea AS2007:635.

Bronze ; seal . One interpretation has Mnemonic: MY VIEW TENDS TO PROCEED BY
179 ‘run’ (this graph’s meaning in early [not
modern] Chinese), and 317 ‘take, catch, RUNNING AND CATCHING
grasp’, giving ‘run to catch (wild animal)’
(Mizukami, Katō). Another interpretation,

The Remaining 1130 Characters 427

寿1445 JU, kotobuki , which is semantic, sometimes being written
L1 long life, (distorted) in a shape corresponding to 521
‘samurai’, and the phonetic element changes in
congratulation a way which is difficult to reconcile with the
corresponding early equivalents (again, prob-
7 strokes ably involving some distortion in shape). By
extension, the original meaning ‘old person,
JUMYŌ life span old’ came to mean ‘longevity’, ‘auspicious’.
CHŌJU longevity MS1995:v1:284-5; KJ1970:695-6; OT1968:229.
BEIJU 88th birthday Note regarding BEIJU : BEI / 220 ‘kome’
means ‘rice’, which in itself is seen as a good
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . The bronze sign. Moreover, it can also be taken as ‘ten’
forms exhibit some variation, but all include and ‘eight’, multiplied to give eighty, then
as abbreviation of 638 ‘old person, old’. This adding variant ‘eight’ , to give a total of
combines with an element (‘ridges in culti- eighty-eight years, indicating a very long life
vated field’) as phonetic with associated sense (especially in earlier times), and was celebrated
‘long, extends out long’, giving ‘old person who as a special occasion. We suggest taking as
lives a long time’. Some bronze occurrences a variant of ‘hand’ 34, along with another
also include 1920 ‘hand’, which is common ‘hand’ 1920.
as a component in clerical script equivalents.
The latter are transitional in shape between Mnemonic: PUT HANDS TOGETHER TO
seal and block script equivalents, as is to be ex-
pected, though the actual changes themselves CONGRATULATE A LONG LIFE
are not easily explained. Such changes from
the seal form include the uppermost element

呪1446 JU, norou, majinai A late, post-Shuowen graph. Initially, the graph
L1 curse, spell, charm, 533 (‘celebrate’), the original meaning of

magic which was probably ‘invoke the deities’, was
used also for ‘pray to the gods for calamity to
8 strokes be visited on someone’, i.e. ‘curse’. The separate
graph first appeared sometime after the
JUMON spell, curse, magic Later Han Dynasty, according to Shirakawa. It
JUBUTSU fetish consists of 22 ‘mouth; speak’, along with
JUFU charm, amulet, talisman – abbreviated from in its likely original sense
‘invoke the deities’ – as semantic and phonetic,
giving ‘invoke the deities’ (with negative conno-
tation), and hence ‘curse’; ‘spell’ may be regard-
ed as extended meaning. In non-standard Japa-
nese usage, is sometimes encountered as
a variant form of . GY2008:622; OT1968:176;
SS1984:403-4. We suggest taking the graph as

114, (now meaning ‘elder brother’ but also
having connotations of prayer or incantation)
comprising ‘mouth, speak’ with ‘legs/person’
41 , then adding an extra mouth .

Mnemonic: ELDER BROTHER NEEDS TWO

MOUTHS FOR MAGIC SPELL

Or: ELDER BROTHER CURSES SO MUCH HE

NEEDS TWO MOUTHS

428 The Remaining 1130 Characters

需1447 JU form onwards represents a different line of
L1 need, demand development from earlier, at least initially. The
equivalent in OBI texts has a standing figure
14 strokes similar in shape to 56 ‘big’, accompanied by
water droplets; this is found in bronze also, but
JUYŌ demand (economic) more common is a standing figure with ‘rain’
HITSUJUHIN necessities above, showing the transitional stage towards
JUKYŪ supply and demand later . Meanings such as ‘seek; demand’ are
loan usages. MS1995:1420-21; KJ1970:508;
Seal . Has 3 ‘rain’, and (NJK; originally, OT1968:1086. We suggest taking as a rake.
depiction of a beard) as phonetic with as-
sociated sense taken either as i] ‘become wet Mnemonic: AFTER THE RAIN THERE IS GREAT
with rain and go soft’ (Ogawa), or ii] ‘become
wet’ (Katō), in either case giving overall sense DEMAND FOR RAKES
‘become wet’. In the case of this graph, the seal

儒1448 JU control of various fields such as divination, mu-
L1 Confucianism sic, astronomy, and divination. It is thought that
shamans in ancient China were often hunch-
16 strokes backs or others with unusual physical charac-
teristics. Gu agrees that there were persons
JUKYŌ Confucianism in charge of fields such as those mentioned
JUSHA Confucianist above, but makes no reference to dwarf stature
JUGAKU Confucianism or the like. The meaning ‘Confucianism’ for
probably evolved as a specialised extended
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 ‘per- sense. KJ1970:508; GY2008:1892-3.
son’, and 1447 (‘demand’) as phonetic with
associated sense taken in one view as ‘weak’, Mnemonic: A CONFUCIANIST IS A PERSON IN
giving ‘weak dwarf’. This is the view of Katō,
who asserts that persons of this type were in GREAT DEMAND

囚1449 SHŪ OBI ; seal . Depicts 41 ‘person’ inside
L1 prisoner an enclosure 84, which is represented
fairly consistently in this graph even in OBI
5 strokes texts, giving ‘capture; prisoner’. MR2007:346;
MS1995:v1:250-51; OT1968:45.
SHŪJIN prisoner
SHŪEKI prison labor Mnemonic: PERSON CONTAINED WITHIN
SHIKEISHŪ condemned man
ENCLOSURE IS A PRISONER

舟1450 SHŪ, fune, funa- OBI ; seal . Originally, a pictograph of a
L2 boat, ship boat. The seal form has an additional com-
ponent, perhaps representing a raised stern.
6 strokes GY2008:294; OT1968:837; MS1995:v2:1098-9;.
Suggest taking the top stroke as (short) moor-
SHŪKŌ navigation ing rope, the dots as people sitting in it, the
funaasobi boating cross-stroke as oar, and the boat itself of course
kobune little boat is lacking a stern.

Mnemonic: MOORED STERNLESS BOAT WITH

TWO PEOPLE AND AN OAR

The Remaining 1130 Characters 429

秀1451 SHŪ, hiideru, sugureru graph he bases this judgment on is less cer-
L1 excel(lent) tain. Schuessler gives the meaning of as ‘to
flower and set ears’ (grain), which follows Karl-
7 strokes gren. Karlgren considers lower element ‘may
originally have depicted the root of the plant
SHŪSAI genius, prodigy (?).’ Note 1: (NJK, ‘whereupon; possessive
YŪSHŪ na excellent particle’) is interpreted in various ways, but is
Hideo common male name typically taken as having an original meaning
such as ‘bent’; this is seen in the interpretation
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Tends to be as pictograph of ‘hunchback’ (Katō) or ‘bow’
treated as comprising 87 ‘grain plant’, and (Ogawa), while ‘bend/curve, bend easily’ (like
an ear and ear-lobe) is an extended sense
(see Note 1 below) as phonetic. In one noted in Mizukami. Note 2: is originally a
analysis, the associated sense for here is pictograph of a grain plant, but not specifical-
taken as ‘extend, stretch out’, giving ‘rice (sic; ly rice (though occasionally misinterpreted as
see Note 2) which grows tall’, and – by exten- such). OT1968:729; KJ1970:513; GY2008:445;
sion – ‘outstanding’ (Ogawa). Alternatively, the MS1995:v1:16-18; SS1984:406. Take as
associated sense is taken as ‘emerge’, giving something bent.
‘grain plant with ear of grain emerging’ (Katō;
Gu is in agreement). Another commentator Mnemonic: HEAD OF GRAIN PLANT IS
(Shirakawa) prefers to treat as originally
a pictograph of a grain plant with an ear of BENT – EXCELLENT CROP
grain hanging down, but the status of the

臭1452 SHŪ, kusai 1207 ‘smell’ (verb). ‘Bad smell, odor’ is an ex-
L1 smell, smack of, tended sense, along with ‘suspicious’ (cf. English
‘fishy’). Script simplification in 20th century Ja-
suspicious pan has led to the lower element ‘dog’ being
changed to 56 ‘big’, or at least a shape cor-
9 strokes responding to , losing semantic transparency
in the process. Despite more extensive script
SHŪKI bad smell simplification, . has been retained in PRC us-
ZOKUSHŪ vulgarity age. QX2000:197; KJ1970:262; OT1968:832. Take
USANkusai suspicious
as big, as nose.
OBI ; seal ; traditional . Has 19 ‘dog’,
and 150 (‘self’), in its original sense ‘nose’, Mnemonic: BIG NOSE CAN SMELL OUT
giving ‘dog smells with the nose’, based on the
correct perception that dogs have a very keen SUSPICIOUS THINGS
sense of smell; the original way of writing

袖1453 SHŪ, sode Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Listed in
L1 sleeve Shuowen, but not with main heading status,
being noted as a less formal, more popular
10 strokes form. Has 444 ‘garment’, and 421 (‘rea-
son; means’) with associated sense ‘draw/pull
RYŌSHŪ a leader, chief out’ (Ogawa), giving ‘sleeve’. DJ2009:v2:676;
HANsode short sleeves OT1968:903; GY2008:1154.
sodenashi sleeveless
Mnemonic: THIS GARMENT HAS SLEEVES FOR

A REASON

430 The Remaining 1130 Characters

羞1454 SHŪ, hajiru and phonetic meaning ‘grasp with the hand’,
L1 be ashamed giving ‘offer sheep in ritual’. ‘Shame’ is a loan
usage. Note that is now the same shape
11 strokes as in the graph 508 ‘difference’, though
separate in evolution. MS1995:v2:1042-3,v1:6-7;
SHŪCHI shame OT1968:799; MR2007:519.
SHŪCHISHIN sense of shame
Mnemonic: SHAME THAT ARIES THE RAM
OBI ; seal . Has 426 ‘sheep, ram’ and
(NJK, zodiac sign ‘Ox’, originally [OBI] depicts a AND TAURUS THE BULL ARE DIFFERENT
hand with fingers bent: see 1711) as semantic

愁1455 SHŪ, urei/eru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 164
L1 grief, sadness ‘heart, feelings’, and 156 (‘autumn’) as pho-
netic with associated sense taken either as i]
13 strokes ‘shrink’, giving ‘forlorn, downhearted’ (Tōdō) or
‘heart grows smaller through grief’ (Ogawa),
SHŪSHŌ grief or ii] ‘grief’, giving ‘grieve, lament’ (Katō).
AISHŪ sorrow TA1965:211; OT1968:381; KJ1970:511.
ureigao sad face
Mnemonic: AUTUMNAL FEELINGS OF

SADNESS

酬1456 SHŪ graph of a wine jar), and (or 320, ‘prov-
L1 reward, reply, toast ince’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘give
out all round/without exception’, thus overall
13 strokes meaning ‘(host) gives wine to all without excep-
tion’, and by extension ‘give wine, exchange
HŌSHŪ reward drinking cups’; by further extension, ‘reward’
ŌSHŪ response and ‘reply’. DJ2009:v3:1217; MS1995:v2:1352-3;
KENSHŪ exchange sake cups TA1965:183.

Seal forms , . Late graph (Shuowen). Main Mnemonic: BE REWARDED WITH A TOAST OF
heading in Shuowen has 醻, and goes on to
give as alternative form in accompanying PROVINCIAL WINE
text. Has NJK 318 ‘wine’ (originally, picto-

醜1457 SHŪ, minikui as phonetic with associated sense ‘bend over,
L1 ugly, shameful shrink’, thus ‘deceased person’s body bends
over and joins the ranks of the deities’. Later,
17 strokes a semantic shift occurred, resulting in a new
sense ‘hunchback’, and by extension ‘ugly, bad;
SHŪAKU foulness hate’. MS1995:v2:1350-51; KJ1970:508-9.
SHŪBUN scandal
minikusa ugliness Mnemonic: DEMON DRINK CAN LEAD TO
UGLY AND SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR
OBI ; seal . Has 1179 (‘devil, demon’;
originally depicted crouching figure wearing Or: UGLY DEVIL WITH ALCOHOL
death-mask; see 1179), and 318 (‘wine jar’)

The Remaining 1130 Characters 431

蹴1458 SHŪ, keru, ke- Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 54 ‘leg,
L1 kick foot’, and 900 (‘reach, proceed to; regarding’)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘quick’, refer-
19 strokes ring to sudden actions made with the foot,
giving ‘stamp on, kick’. In Japanese usage, ‘kick’
SHŪKYŪ football predominates. SS1984:419; GY2008:1989;
ketaosu kick down/over OT1968:976. For , as in 900 we suggest taking
tobikeri drop-kick it as 110 ‘capital’ and as ‘crippled dog’
19.

Mnemonic: DOG IN CAPITAL IS CRIPPLED

AFTER LEG IS KICKED

襲1459 SHŪ, osou cates putting a kimono (or kimono-like cloth-
L1 attack, inherit, pile up ing) on a corpse by folding the left side under
the right side, presumably contrary to that of a
22 strokes live person wearing a kimono. In Chinese there
is still a meaning for this graph of preparing
SHŪRAI attack for burial. He treats as a phonetic with an
KŪSHŪ air raid associated meaning of ‘wrong way’ or ‘back to
SESHŪ heredity front’, and treats ‘attack’, ‘pile up’, and ‘inherit’
as all being loan usages. Schuessler points to a
OBI ; seal . Seal form has 444 ‘gar- link in early Chinese between a word for ‘habit,
ment’, and (traditional form of 2081 custom’, and one for for ‘additional robe, cover’
‘dragon’), the latter serving here as an abbre- which could explain ‘pile up’ and ‘inherit’.
viation of 龖 (‘flying dragons’) as a phonetic OBI forms for the upper element ( ) vary
with an associated sense ‘pile up, pile up considerably in shape; the greater part of the
around’, giving ‘put covers over a corpse’, then OBI form given above seems to represent a
generalized to ‘cover’; by extension this came shape for ‘dragon’. Modern form of 1459
to mean ‘conceal horses and men’, then by fur- retains the traditional form for 2081 as
ther extension to make a surprise attack, then top element. KJ1985:550; MS1995:v2:1172-3;
generalized to simply ‘attack’. It is unclear as to QX2000:234; TA1965:798-9; OT1968:910;
how it came to acquire the meaning of ‘inherit’, AS2007:524.
though it may derive from funeral rites and
associated conventions. Katō sees the main Mnemonic: DRAGON ATTACKS PILE OF
meaning as being the funeral clothing. He is
quite specific in asserting that the graph indi- INHERITED CLOTHES

汁1460 JŪ, shiru Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 ‘wa-
L1 juice, soup, liquid ter’ or sometimes – as here – ‘liquid’, and 35
(‘ten’) as phonetic with associated sense typi-
5 strokes cally taken as ‘mix in’, giving ‘liquid with ingre-
dients mixed in’ (Shirakawa, Gu, Ogawa). Tōdō,
KAJŪ fruit juice alternatively, prefers to interpret the associated
BOKUJŪ India ink sense as ‘enter deep into’, giving ‘liquid which
misoshiru miso soup has sunk to the bottom of a vessel’. SS1984:414;
GY2008:193; OT1968:557; TA1965:789-94.

Mnemonic: JUICE MIXED WITH TEN DROPS

OF WATER

432 The Remaining 1130 Characters

充1461 JŪ, ateru, mitasu being in error for (3 strokes). In early 20th
L1 full, fill, provide century Japanese book-printed font, still writ-
ten as 3 strokes (e.g. in Ueda Bannen’s Daijiten
6 strokes [1917]), but in modern font modified to look
as if begins with ; the traditional look-up
JŪBUN sufficient, enough determinative for is (i.e. determinative
JŪJITSU fullness 10 [cf. / 9]). Note 2: Interpretations vary.
JŪTŌ allot, apply Mizukami interprets the seal form of as de-
picting the middle part of a mother’s pregnant
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). In one view, body in side profile with swollen abdomen.
has ‘newborn infant’ (originally, pictograph Ogawa treats as ‘person’ or ‘person kneeling’.
The OBI and bronze shapes (as non-independ-
of baby being born [head first and thus up- ent element) for given by Gu, very close to
those for , became more distinctive in seal
side-down]; see Note 1 below), with (‘per- and clerical script; Gu takes as ‘person’. ‘Fill’,
‘provide’ would seem to be extended mean-
son’; a separate graph from ‘person’ : see 41 ings. MS1995:v1:88-9,190-91; KJ1970:515;
GY2008:9-10; OT1968:87; TA1965:194.
and Note 2 below) as phonetic with associated
Mnemonic: NEWBORN BABY WILL GROW
sense ‘grow’, giving ‘child grows into adult’; by
INTO FULL PERSON
extension, ‘be mature/full’ (Katō). Alternatively,
Or: NEWBORN BABY HAS FULL SET OF LEGS,
is taken not as phonetic but semantic in
function, meaning ‘person’, combining with BUT THEY’RE BENT

as an abbreviation of 247 ‘raise, educate’ to

give the same overall meaning, i.e. ‘child grows
to adult’ (Ogawa, Tōdō). Note 1: is a stylized

version of the seal form, which is interpreted

as infant emerging from the mother’s body

(the latter represented by a curved stroke
like ). Kangxi zidian lists (4 strokes) as

柔1462 JŪ, NYŪ, yawarakai weak’ (Katō). Another commentator dismisses
L2 soft, gentle, weak the proposal that is to be regarded here as
phonetic, treating it instead as meaning ‘flex-
9 strokes ible wood for use in halberds’, and by exten-
sion ‘flexible’ (Tōdō). In similar vein, Ogawa
JŪDŌ judo interprets the seal form as depicting a tree (and
NYŪJAKU weakness hence wood), plus branches bending with fruit
yawarakamono silks or similar, giving ‘flexible’ and by extension ‘soft’.
KJ1970:863; TA1965:201; OT1968:500.
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Analyses differ.
One takes as 73 ‘tree, wood’, and 2012 Mnemonic: SOFT WOODEN HALBERD IS WEAK
(‘halberd’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘emerge’, thus ‘newly emerged tree plant is

渋1463 JŪ, shibui/ru cates motion as well as stopping) written four
L1 hesitate, astringent times, the top two being written upside down
to convey the meaning ‘not move smoothly’;
11 strokes subsequently, 42 ‘water’ was added as deter-
minative to clearly indicate the meaning ‘water
JŪTAI delay moves slowly/stagnates’. Then in block script,
shibumi astringency the element written twice upside down in
shibushibu grudgingly this graph was slightly modified in shape, but
enough to obscure – presumably inadvert-
Seal ; traditional . The Shuowen seal form, ently – the fact it was originally . By the time
which lacks the ‘water’ determinative ( ), has

143 ‘stop, (foot, footprint’, sometimes indi-

The Remaining 1130 Characters 433

of Jiyun, a Chinese rhyme dictionary published traditional . ‘Hesitate’ is an extended sense of
in 1037, the entry for has noted as an ; ‘astringent’ is a loan usage. DJ2009:v1:136;
alternative form. The lower right-hand element
(four strokes) in the modern Japanese form OT1968:586; ZY2009:v2:649; GY2008:1138;
KJ1970:517-8; SS1984:416; TA1965:809. We
is a device which was used occasionally for suggest taking the bottom right element as four
convenience in less formal pre-modern texts to droplets, and as ‘liquid’.
represent reduplication of an element; another
example in the modern script is 1596 (‘take, Mnemonic: ASTRINGENT DROPLETS MAKES
act as proxy’), which is a simplified version of
ONE HESITATE AND STOP

銃1464 JŪ ii] ‘enclose’, giving ‘hole in ax head to fit handle
L1 gun through’ (Ogawa, Gu). Both parts of the ax
would have had holes to enable them to be
14 strokes secured together as one. From sometime in
the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), was adopt-
SHŌJŪ small arms ed to denote early firearms. The adaptation
JŪKEN bayonet was perhaps suggested through similarity in
JŪKA gunfire shape between an ax handle and the hollow
barrel of a firearm. SS1984:416; OT1968:1042;
A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 16 ‘metal’, GY2008:1262.
and 1461 ‘fill, full’, which is taken as pho-
netic with associated sense as i] ‘hole, cavity’, Mnemonic: GUN IS FILLED WITH METAL
giving ‘hole made in ax handle’ (Shirakawa), or

獣1465 JŪ, ke(da)mono mestic animals’. However, the OBI and bronze
L1 beast forms of clearly have the early equivalents
of and not 嘼, a view which is shared by
16 strokes Gu and Ogawa. At the seal stage, we do find

JŪI veterinarian replaced by 嘼, though it may be that this
JŪTEKI bestial change reflects no more than a regulariza-
CHŌJŪ wildlife tion based on minor variations in shape of

OBI ; seal ; traditional . The OBI form in bronze. ZY2009:v1:145; MS1995:v2:846-
has 19 ‘dog’, and (originally a two- 7,v1:240-41; SS1984:416; GY2008:1311;
pronged thrusting weapon for stabbing; OT1968:647. Suggest taking left side of the
569 ‘simple’), giving ‘hunt using weaponry graph as a variant of ‘simple’ , plus 22
and dogs’. Several commentators (Mizukami, ‘(open) mouth’.
Shirakawa) explain this graph as originally
consisting of plus 嘼, which is treated by Mnemonic: OPEN-MOUTHED DOG IS A
Kangxi zidian as an old form of 1702 ‘do-
SIMPLE BEAST

叔1466 SHUKU Bronze ; seal . Has 尗, which is typically
L1 uncle (younger taken as originally depicting an edible plant
such as taro in the ground (together with that
brother of parent) part of the plant growing above ground), and

8 strokes 2003 ‘hand’, giving the original meaning
‘gather taro’, then generalized to ‘harvest’
oji* uncle (verb). Note, though, that Shirakawa claims the
oba* aunt bronze form of 尗 instead depicts the head of
ōoji* great-uncle a halberd. was later borrowed to represent
a near-homophone meaning ‘young’, and then

434 The Remaining 1130 Characters

for ‘uncle younger than one’s parents’ (Mizu- SS1984:417; AS2007:469. Suggest taking left-
kami, Tōdō), this latter helping to explain the hand element as ‘almost’ walk 221.
writing for ‘uncle’. Mizukami also lists pro-
posed OBI equivalents for . MS1995:v1:198-9; Mnemonic: WITH HELPING HAND, YOUNG
KJ1970; TA1965:189; OT1968:155; TA1965:199; UNCLE CAN ALMOST WALK

淑1467 SHUKU that it is an extended meaning. Note: several
L1 pure, graceful commentators (Gu, Shirakawa) consider that
originally in bronze was written in a shape
11 strokes corresponding to the bronze form for 1714
‘mourn’, but Mizukami and Katō maintain they
TEISHUKU chastity were separate graphs even at that early stage.
SHUKUJO lady GY2008:1318; KJ1970:521; MS1995:v2:758-
SHISHUKU admiration 9,v1:466-7; SS1984:418.

Seal . Has 42 ‘water’, and 1466 (‘un- Mnemonic: UNCLE DRINKS PURE WATER
cle’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘clean,
pure’, giving ‘pure water’ (Katō) or ‘clear deep Or: UNCLE IS GRACEFUL IN WATER
water’ (Mizukami), and taking ‘good, graceful’
as a loan usage, though it may be argued

粛1468 SHUKU Ogawa, alternatively, takes the associated
L1 solemn, quiet, be sense as ‘quick, rapid’, giving ‘rapid water’, i.e.
‘rapid current’. Meanings such as ‘be in awe’ are
awed generally considered to represent a loan usage.
However, Gu prefers to regard here as not
11 strokes ‘writing brush’ but ‘boat pole’, and suggests
meanings such as ‘be in awe’ are extended
SHUKUZEN to solemnly senses deriving from a sense of being care-
JISHUKU self control ful when travelling in a boat over deep water.
GENSHUKU solemnity MS1995:v2:1064-6; KJ1970:522-3; OT1968:814;
GY2008:742. We suggest taking the modern
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . In one view, graph as variant ‘hand’ (holding stick for pound-
taken as consisting of (original way of writ- ing) , ‘rice’ 220, and an open container .
ing ‘deep pool’), and 159 ‘writing brush’
(originally, pictograph of hand holding writing Mnemonic: HAND SOLEMNLY POUNDS RICE
brush) as phonetic with associated sense typi-
cally taken as ‘pale and dark’ or ‘black’, giving IN OPEN CONTAINER – AWESOME!
‘water in pool is pale and dark/black’ (Katō) or
‘water in pool is deep and clear’ (Mizukami).

塾1469 JUKU gate’ (Tōdō), or – in similar vein – ‘buildings
L1 juku, private school either side of entrance gate’ (Ogawa). The
main building would have been for a person
14 strokes of high status (Gu says ‘palace’). Such rooms
or buildings were used for education, and so
JUKUSEI juku student by extension ‘private academy’, or in modern
JUKUSOKU juku rules usage ‘cram school’. As an indicator of socio-cul-
SHIJUKU home-based juku tural values regarding education, the majority
of students – particularly junior high students
Seal ; a late graph (later version of Shuowen). – spend virtually as many hours in juku than
Has 64 ‘earth, ground’, and (distortion they do at school. Most of them attend juku
in shape of the seal form, orig. ‘cook’; see Note on a Saturday, and several nights a week. And
below) as phonetic with associated sense ‘make there is often no consideration for political
level/even’, interpreted as ‘building with rooms
having earthen walls either side of entrance

The Remaining 1130 Characters 435

correctness: while Western schools typically ‘ripe, mature’. TA1965:179-84; OT1968:223,269;
try to keep students’ grades private, many juku GY2008:1745; AS2007:471,457. We suggest tak-
not only ignore this, after a test they put on the ing the elements as lid/cover , 22 ‘hole’,
blackboard not only the top few performers, 27 ‘child’, 64 ‘ground’, and 101 ‘round’.
but also the the worst few performers. Note:
‘cook’ was later borrowed as a convenient way Mnemonic: PRIVATE SCHOOL CHILD PUTS
of writing a homophone/ near-homophone ROUND COVER ON HOLE IN GROUND
meaning ‘who?’. For further details, see 905

俊1470 SHUN view as consisting of ‘tall slim person’, plus
L1 excellence, genius ‘foot’ (see Appendix), giving ‘stand tall with both
feet in one spot’ (Tōdō). Alternatively, analysed
9 strokes as ‘foot’, ‘go slowly’, plus as phonetic with
associated sense ‘advance slowly’, thus ‘drag foot
SHUNSAI genius and hardly move’ or ‘stand still’ (Katō). See too
SHUNKETSU hero 715 and 1367. As with 715 and 1367, we sug-
SHUNDŌ prodigy gest taking the right hand part as ‘crossed legs’

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 and an indelicate ‘runny nose’ . OT1968:63;
‘person’, and CO (see Note below) as phonetic TA1965:693; KJ1970:59-60.
with associated sense ‘break out, emerge’, giving
‘outstanding person’. One commentator (Ogawa) Mnemonic: PERSON WITH RUNNY NOSE
takes ‘outstanding person’ as an extended sense
based on ‘tall person’. Note: is taken in one AND CROSSED LEGS IS A GENIUS!

瞬1471 SHUN, matataku below) just in a phonetic role with associated
L1 flash, twinkle, blink, sense ‘rapid’ (Ogawa). Note: The seal predecessor
of is felt to be ( ), which is taken to mean
wink ‘red blossoms which appear together but wither
straightaway’ (noted in Mizukami), or ‘Shun,
18 strokes name of a mythical king in antiquity’ (Qiu). Gu
is in general agreement with Qiu. KJ1970:527-8;
SHUNKAN moment, instant OT1968:704; MS1995:v2:1098-9; GY2008:1468-9;
ISSHUNKAN ni in a flash ZY2009:v3:814. We suggest taking (see 336,
matatakuma ni quick as a blink 1278, meaning feet pointing both ways) as 46
‘evening’ and variant ‘well’ 1575, and as
OBI (䀢). Has 76 ‘eye’, and a second element hand holding cover.
which changed several times across different
Mnemonic: IN THE EVENING, PUT A COVER
stages of the script. OBI has 145 ‘arrow’ as
ON THE WELL IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
semantic and phonetic, indicating rapid move-

ment and combining with ‘eye’ to give ‘blink’; the
sixth century dictionary Yupian lists 䀢 as being
equivalent to , which has CO (see Note

旬1472 JUN OBI ( ) ; seal . The OBI form, widely
L1 ten day period considered to be the ancestral form of , is
given different interpretations (e.g. ‘coiled snake’
6 strokes [Katō], ‘dragon with curled tail’ [Shirakawa]), but
these have a common semantic theme of ‘coil’ or
JŌJUN 1st third of month ‘go round’; context shows that in OBI texts the
CHUJŪN 2nd third of month graph clearly had the sense ‘ten-day cycle’, re-
GEJUN 3rd third of month

436 The Remaining 1130 Characters

flecting the use in Shang times of a sequence of ‘go round’. Bronze also has a variant form (noted
ten (the Ten Stems, used in conjunction with the in Shuowen) which instead of has (‘equal’;
Twelve Branches to make up a recurring cycle of later 681 q.v.), a graph which originally meant
sixty to indicate years for dating purposes). At ‘go round’. MS1995:v1:608-10,146-7; KJ1970:67;
the bronze stage, 66 ‘day, sun’ was added as SS1984:425; OT1968:460.
determinative for clarity; in the resultant graph
Mnemonic: TEN DAY CYCLE OF CIRCLING SUN
, serves as semantic and phonetic, meaning

巡1473 JUN, meguru Bronze ; seal . Has 85 ‘walk, go, move’,
L1 go around and , a variant of 50 ‘river’. is taken here
either semantically as ‘river’, giving ‘go round
6 strokes following a set route’ (Ogawa), or as phonetic
with associated sense ‘see, gaze at’, giving ‘walk
JUNSA policeman while looking’ (Katō). ‘Go round’ is treated as
JUNKAI tour, patrol a loan usage by Katō. MS1995:v1:426-7,422-3;
hitomeguri one round KJ1970:528; OT1968:993.

Mnemonic: MOVING RIVER GOES AROUND

SHARP BENDS

盾1474 JUN, tate of 76‘eye’, with a second element representing
L1 shield, pretext a protective shade, thus‘eye-shield’; by exten-
sion,‘shield’as used in combat. On the basis of
9 strokes word-family association, Katō takes as‘a device
to hide behind (and look out from)’, by exten-
MUJUN contradiction sion‘pretext’. MS1995:v2:916-7; OT1968:696;
ushirodate backing SS1984:425; KJ1970:570-71. We suggest taking
tatetsuku oppose as shield, and as‘ten’ 35.

Bronze ; seal . For OBI and some bronze oc- Mnemonic: TEN EYES ARE SHIELDED
currences, Mizukami lists a pictograph of a shield,
but in bronze also a compound graph consisting

准1475 JUN A late graph, probably post-Shuowen. A
L1 conform, permit, popular variant of 733 ‘level; conform’ (q.v.).
According to Shirakawa, first appeared at
quasi- a period more or less contemporaneous with
Shuowen, on Han epitaphs. Starting in Chi-
10 strokes nese official documents of the Tang and Song
dynasties onwards, used also in the sense
HIJUN ratification ‘permit’. In Japanese, the use of as opposed
JUN’I warrant officer to has ended up to some extent being just
JUNKYO approval a matter of usage, and care needs to be taken
in distinguishing the two to reflect that us-
age. KJ1970:529; GY2008:1117; OT1968:104;
SS1984:425,427. As with 733, Suggest take as

324 ‘bird’, with the ‘ice’ radical 401 .

Mnemonic: FREEZE BIRD SO AS TO CONFORM

AND GET PERMIT

The Remaining 1130 Characters 437

殉1476 JUN A late graph (Yupian). Has 302/520 ‘bone
L1 dutiful death fragment’ or ‘top of spine’, a determinative
which acquired the frequent connotation
10 strokes ‘death/serious injury’, and 1472 (‘ten-day pe-
riod’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘follow’,
JUNSHI dutiful death giving ‘follow in death’. The practice of follow-
JUNKYŌSHA martyr ing one’s lord in death was not uncommon in
JUNSHOKU death at post earlier times. OT1968:544; KJ1970:531-2,312;
SS1984:425-6; MS1995:708-9.

Mnemonic: DUTIFUL DEATH, BUT JUST

BONES AFTER TEN DAYS

循1477 JUN Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 131
L1 follow ‘road; go, move’, and 1474 (‘shield’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘follow’, giving
12 strokes ‘follow a route, follow after’; loan usage for ‘go
round, revolve’ (Mizukami, Katō). Mizukami
JUNKAN circle, cycle lists a proposed OBI equivalent. OT1968:353;
AKUJUNKAN vicious circle MS1995:v1:488-9; GY2008:1464; KJ1970:518-9.
INJUN indecision
Mnemonic: FOLLOW, MOVING BEHIND SHIELD

潤14L178 JUN cal ritual. However, based on passage in Erya
moisten, enrich (an encyclopaedic dictionary probably dating
back to ca. 3rd century BC), Shirakawa maintains
15 strokes that the phonetic in this graph was originally
probably not but 785 ‘thread spool’,
JUNKATSU lubrication (also here with associated sense ‘excess; big’),
RIJUN profit a graph which at the seal stage was already
JUNTAKU moisture, profit very close in shape to , hence the possibility
of confusion between the two. DJ2009:v3:916;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 ‘wa- MS1995:v2:850-51; GY2008:1136; SS1984:426-
ter’, and (NJK ‘intercalary month’) as phonet- 7. Suggest taking as 231 ‘gate’ and ‘ 5
ic with associated sense ‘exist in excess’, giving king’.
‘have plentiful liquid’. Note: has 5 (‘king,
ruler’) as phonetic from seal stage onwards, Mnemonic: KING AT GATE GETS MOISTENED
and has generally been taken as meaning
the emperor being in his palace for a calendri- WITH ENRICHING WATER

遵1479 JUN Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional
L1 follow, obey form has for 939 (‘respect’) on the right.
Has 85 ‘walk, go’, and as phonetic with
15 strokes associated sense ‘follow closely, follow’, giving
‘follow, obey’. GY2008:1838,1489; TA1965:693;
JUNSHU conformity OT1968:1014.
JUNPŌ observance of law
JUNPŌ suru obey the law Mnemonic: MOVING OBEDIENTLY

FOLLOWING RESPECTED WAY

438 The Remaining 1130 Characters

庶1480 SHO on top of fire’ (Katō). The objection to this view,
L1 masses, various, it could be argued, is that at the top of this
graph there is not , as in , but . Since by
illegitimate, all the seal stage the top element in was being
written as , it was for that reason analysed in
11 strokes Shuowen as ‘roof’. It should be noted, though,
that the distinction between and was
SHOMIN the masses not always made at the bronze stage (indeed,
SHOMU general affairs Mizukami goes so far as to say they were the
SHOSHI illegitimate child same at that stage), leaving the possibility
that the top element of this graph in bronze
OBI ; bronze ; seal . Analyses diverge. may have been erroneously analysed by the
One view (Gu) takes the OBI form as represent- Shuowen compiler Xu Shen (or possibly earlier)
ing a cooking pot over a fire (炗; see Note as ‘(angled) roof; building’. Note: the shape
below) away from the wind beneath a ‘cliff’, beneath the top element in OBI and some
with the top element changing at the seal bronze occurrences corresponds to 炗, which
stage to 127 ‘roof, building’ to represent does appear to be a cooking pot over fire. Yupian
a simple dwelling, giving ‘cook inside dwell- takes this graph as instead being an old way
ing’. Then, according to Gu, the meaning of writing 129 ‘bright’, but the basis for this
was successively extended to ‘servant’ and is not clear. MS1995:v1:454-5,450-51,v2:932-3;
‘the ordinary people’. Another analysis favors DJ2009:V2:752; GY2008:1295; KJ1970:611-12;
division into 8 ‘fire’ beneath 47 ‘stone, OT1968:619. Take the central part as as a pot
rock’, and takes the latter with the associated hanging from a cross-piece.
sense ‘remove’, to give ‘fumigate and remove
harmful insects’ (Ogawa), treating senses such Mnemonic: THE MASSES ALL HAVE HOUSES
as ‘various’ as loan usage. Alternatively, is
analysed as ‘fire’ beneath as phonetic AND VARIOUS COOKING POTS
with associated sense ‘put, place’, giving ‘place

緒1481 SHO, CHO, o Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 29
L3 beginning, cord, ‘thread’, and 314 (‘person’) as phonetic with
associated sense ‘beginning’, thus ‘beginning
connection, clue of length of thread’; by extension, senses such
as ‘connection’ also. OT1968:782; KJ1970:496;
14 strokes GY2008:1351.

ISSHO together Mnemonic: PERSON THREADS CORD FROM
TANSHO beginning
hanao clog thong BEGINNING TO MAKE CONNECTION

如1482 JO, NYO, gotoku/ki OBI ; seal . Has 22 ‘mouth; speak’, and
L1 similar, equal 37 (‘woman’) as phonetic with associated

6 strokes sense ‘obedient, submissive’, thus ‘submissive
words, submissive’. Commentators are divided
JOJŌ aforementioned over whether to regard senses such as ‘be
NYOJITSU realism like’ and ‘as if’ as extended senses or as loan
ikaga* how? usage based on sound value; the latter seems
more likely. MS1995:v1:310-12; KJ1970:551-2;
OT1968:166.

Mnemonic: WOMEN’S MOUTHS ARE

SIMILAR

The Remaining 1130 Characters 439

叙1483 JO and by extension ‘set out (views, etc.), relate’;
L1 describe, confer the seal form replaces with ‘hit; compel,
make to do’, still with essentially the same
9 strokes overall sense (‘make to be in order’). Gu, by
way of exception, takes not as phonetic
JOJUTSU description but semantic in function, signifying ‘roof’
JOJŌTEKI lyrical (regarding original sense of in OBI, relat-
JOKUN conferring honor ing to roof structure, see 820), thus overall
meaning ‘thatch a roof’, and by extension ‘put
OBI ; seal ; traditional (also 112 in order’. ‘Confer’ is probably an extension of
sequencing. KJ1970:552; MS1995:v1:574-6;
is a variant of , meaning ‘strike, coerce’]). OBI GY2008:891-2; OT1968:155; DJ2009:v1:271.

form has 2003 ‘hand’, with 820 (‘excess’, Mnemonic: AMPLE DESCRIPTION OF HAND

‘ample’), typically taken as phonetic with

associated sense ‘sequence, put in sequence’,

giving ‘put in sequence, spread out in order’,

徐1484 JO, omomuro Seal . Has 131 ‘road; go’, and 820
L1 slowly, gradually (‘excess’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘gentle, slow’, giving ‘go slowly’. Mizukami lists
10 strokes an ancestral OBI equivalent which lacks as
determinative. MS1995:v1:484-5; KJ1970:883;
JOJO ni slowly OT1968:351.
JOKŌ going slowly
JOHO walking slowly Mnemonic: GO EXCESSIVELY SLOWLY

升1485 SHŌ, masu as liquid) in it, and this is retained in bronze
L1 liquid measure for (but not ). The depiction of a ladle
scooping up liquid gives the meaning ‘scoop
4 strokes up’. This may have led to extended sense as
a unit of liquid measure if the ladle was of
masume a measure standard size, otherwise ‘unit of measure’ (in
NISHŌ two shō Japan today, equivalent to 1.8 litres) needs to
ISSHŌBIN 1-shō bottle be seen as a loan use. Katō favors the latter
view. MS1995:v1:166-7,590-92; KJ1970:536-7;
OBI ; seal . Based on OBI forms listed by OT1968:137. Take 35 ‘ten’ and 41 ‘person’.
Mizukami, it seems at that stage and
1766 ‘a measure’ may have been the same Mnemonic: LIQUID MEASURE ENOUGH FOR
graph. If so, differentiation in shape evolved
at the bronze stage: OBI forms of both graphs TEN PERSONS
show a scoop or ladle with something (seen

召1486 SHŌ, mesu OBI ; seal . Seal onwards has 22 ‘mouth,
L2 summon, partake, speak’, and 198 (‘knife, cut’) as phonetic
with meaning usually taken as ‘call, invite’,
wear thus ‘call out, summon’. Another meaning
(noted by Mizukami) is ‘bend back and face
5 strokes upwards’, thus ‘face upwards and call out’. The
more complex OBI form (in bronze also), is
SHŌSHŪ summons, call taken to signify orig. ‘wine press made of wil-
SHŌKAN summons low branches’, with ‘call, summon’ a loan us-
meshitsukai servant

440 The Remaining 1130 Characters

age; this complex form was ousted at the seal meaning ‘eat, drink; wear’. MS1995:v1:208-9;
stage by . Other senses in Japanese such as KJ1970:607-8; OT1968:163; AS2007:608;
‘eat, drink; wear’ seem to be loan uses, taking JD1970:734.
sound value of mesu ‘call, summon’ equivalent
to its meaning in Chinese when first borrowed Mnemonic: CUT MOUTH WHILE PARTAKING
and applying it to a homophonous verb SO SUMMON HELP

匠1487 SHŌ Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has ‘box’
L1 craftsman, idea (pictograph), and 1233 ‘ax’, thus ‘ax in box’
> ‘carpentry/carpenter’. Some scholars (Tōdō,
6 strokes Ogawa) take as short for 1209, a square
used by carpenter (probable original meaning
SHISHŌ master of ‘huge’), but overall meaning is unchanged.
KYOSHŌ great master KJ1970:540; GY2008:249; TA1965:376;
ISHŌ idea, design OT1968:134.

Mnemonic: CRAFTSMAN KEEPS AX IN

BOX – GOOD IDEA

床1488 SHŌ, toko, yuka with 73 ‘wood’. appears in Yupian dic-
L2 bed, floor, alcove tionary, and later in Kangxi zidian, still not
given official status but again noted as popu-
7 strokes lar form. ‘Floor’ and ‘alcove’ are Japanese-only
senses. Ogawa takes as ‘that which is used
BYŌSHŌ sickbed inside a house 127 and made of wood ,
yukabari flooring hence ‘floor’. Gu suggests that as variant of ,
tokonoma alcove
may have evolved mistakenly. MS1995:v2:
Late post-Shuowen graph. Popular variant of 824-5; GY2008:480-81; ZY2009:v2:304;
‘bed, couch’. is originally an OBI picto- OT1968:327.

graph profile view of a stand or couch seem- Mnemonic: BUILDING HAS WOODEN FLOOR
ingly stood upright (orientation of OBI graphs
often differed from later), here combining AND BED IN ALCOVE

抄1489 SHŌ ‘stab (object) with metal implement and take’;
L1 extract, excerpt and ‘take by force’ is the meaning for given
in the Yupian dictionary. Another associ-
7 strokes ated sense of here is ‘join together small
items such as shells (currency) or precious
SHŌHON extract stones’, giving ‘draw in things linked together’
SHISHŌ selected poems (Shirakawa). Ogawa, by contrast, takes the
SHŌYAKU abridged translation associated sense as ‘scoop up’, thus ‘scoop
up’, and by extension ‘take by force’. With all
Late post-Shuowen graph. Shuowen itself has the above analyses, ‘take’ may be regarded
(CO; ‘paper money; collected writings’), as core meaning of , giving ‘extract’ as ex-
tended sense. Later, ‘hand 34’ replaced .
but not , though analysis of is helpful to KJ1970:604; SS1984:436; OT1968:403.
our understanding of its later variant .
has 16 ‘metal’, with 160 (‘few, little’) as Mnemonic: EXTRACT A LITTLE BY HAND
phonetic; views on the associated sense vary.
Katō sees it as ‘hold/put between’, specifically

The Remaining 1130 Characters 441

肖1490 SHŌ, ayakaru ably child and parents: then by extension,
L1 resemble, lucky ‘resemble’. ‘Lucky’ is a minor meaning which
appears to be a further semantic extension
7 strokes based on a belief of good fortune accruing
through resembling another – presumably
SHŌZŌ portrait fortunate or successful – individual. Mizuka-
FUSHŌ unlike mi lists several proposed bronze equivalents.
ayakarimono lucky person MS1995:v2:1068-70; OT1968:816.

Seal ; traditional . Has / 209 ‘flesh, Mnemonic: LITTLE ONE IS LIKE PARENTS IN
meat; body’, with 38 as semantic and
phonetic, meaning ‘little, small, make small’, BODY AND IN LUCK
giving ‘small model (of a person)’, prob-

尚1491 SHŌ, nao, tattobu 294 (‘turn, face’), a graph which originally
L1 furthermore, raise, signified a window or vent high up, possibly
north-facing, giving ‘smoke rises up through
esteem window/vent and disperses’. This meaning
was later generalized to ‘rise’, and extended to
8 strokes ‘raise up; esteem’. ‘Furthermore’ is a loan us-
age. The top centre stroke of this graph repre-
SHŌSŌ prematurity sents the first stroke of . MS1995:v1:400-01;
KŌSHŌ loftiness KJ1970:544-5; OT1968:292; TA1965:341.
naonao still more
Mnemonic: FURTHERMORE, FACING AWAY IS
Bronze ; traditional . Has 70 (‘eight’;
originally, ‘split, disperse, away’), typically A SIGN OF ESTEEM
taken as semantic and phonetic (Katō prefers
instead to take as depicting a vent), with

昇1492 SHŌ, noboru Seal ; a late graph (later version of Shuo-
L1 rise, ascent wen). Has 66 ‘sun, day’, and 1485 (unit of
measure) as phonetic with associated sense
8 strokes ‘rise’, giving ‘sun rises’; later generalized to ‘rise’.
KJ1970:540; OT1968:462; SS1984:438. We sug-
SHŌSHIN promotion gest taking as ‘ten’ 35 and ‘person’ 41.
JŌSHŌ ascent
SHŌKŌKI elevator Mnemonic: SUN RISES OVER TEN PERSONS

沼1493 SHŌ, numa thus ‘pond of curving shape’ (Tōdō, Ogawa), or
L1 swamp, marsh ii] ‘small’, thus ‘small pond’ (Katō). Tōdō suggests
focus of curving shape was either bottom or
8 strokes edges of a pond. Shirakawa disputes ‘curve’
as an associated sense, and takes meaning of
SHŌKI marsh gas, methane
SHŌTAKU swamp, marsh to be ‘(natural) pond’, as does Gu. ‘Swamp/
numaCHI marshland marsh’ seems to be a specific meaning in
Japanese only. TA1965:246; OT1968:566;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 KJ1970:608; SS1984:438; GY2008:717.
‘water’ and 1486 (‘summon’) as phonetic
with associated sense taken as i] ‘curve, bend’, Mnemonic: SUMMON WATERS OF SWAMP

442 The Remaining 1130 Characters

宵1494 SHŌ, yoi hence ‘evening’. Ogawa, by contrast, sees it as
L1 evening three elements: ‘roof; dwelling’, plus 46
‘evening’, plus 38 (‘small’) as phonetic with
10 strokes associated sense ‘dark’, thus ‘evening time
when dark inside house’; Ogawa also feels
yoizuki hangover there was an erroneous change in this graph
TESSHŌ all night at the seal stage from to 18 ‘moon’, but
yoigoshi overnight many of the OBI and bronze occurrences
of these two graphs are hard to tell apart.
Bronze ; seal ; lower part of traditional MS1995:v1:376-7; GY2008:1144; OT1968:279.
form has 1490 ‘resemble’ not . Analyses
differ. One takes it as two components: Mnemonic: SMALL MOON SEEN UNDER
30 ‘roof, dwelling’, and as phonetic with
associated sense ‘a little, small, hardly any’, ROOF IN THE EVENING
thus ‘time of hardly any light inside house’,

症1495 SHŌ No seal form; a very late graph. Has ‘sick
L1 symptom, illness bed’, 404 and 43 (‘correct, proper’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘sign, indica-
10 strokes tion’, giving ‘symptom of illness’. According
to Shirakawa, the graph is of popular recent
SHŌJŌ symptoms origin, appearing in relatively late pre-modern
ENSHŌ inflammation Chinese texts such as Shuihu zhuan (The Water
KYŌFUSHŌ phobia Margin; a 14th century novel); originally,
for many centuries, was used as a popu-
lar form for / 737 “proof”. KJ1970:489;
SS1984:440; OT1968:678.

Mnemonic: PROPER SYMPTONS OF ILLNESS

祥1496 SHŌ Shirakawa). Mizukami, alternatively, takes the
L1 good fortune, omen associated sense firstly as ‘deities appreciate
good shape’, and by extension ‘auspicious’,
10 strokes but adds a cautionary note saying the shape
and meaning of this graph are not certain. Gu
KISSHŌ good omen takes the associated sense as ‘ritual offering’.
FUSHŌJI ill omen, scandal Mizukami also lists proposed OBI and bronze
HASSHŌCHI cradle, origin equivalents. OT1968:723; SS1984:440-41;
MS1995:v2:948-9; GY2008:1155; KJ1985:447.
Seal . Analyses differ somewhat. Most com-
mentators take / 723 as ‘altar, deity, show’, Mnemonic: SHEEP SACRIFICED ON ALTAR TO
with 426 (‘sheep’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense taken in one view as ‘auspicious’, BRING GOOD FORTUNE
thus ‘good fortune, auspicious’ (Ogawa,

称1497 SHŌ Seal ; traditional form has 爯 as right-hand
L1 praise, name, chant element. Has 87 ‘grain plant’ and 爯 (see
Note below) ‘lift up by hand’ as semantic and
10 strokes phonetic, giving ‘lift up sheaves of grain by
hand, lift up’. ‘Call out’ is regarded as an ex-
SHŌGŌ title tended sense (Katō, Mizukami); Katō suggests
SHŌSAN praise there was a verbal component involved when
MEISHŌ name

The Remaining 1130 Characters 443

sheaves of grain were lifted and probably also ‘lift up’ and giving overall meaning ‘lift up by
counted. ‘Praise’ appears to be considered a hand’. The modern form is an abbreviated
further extended sense. Mizukami lists OBI shape based on early (probably Tang Dynasty)
and bronze equivalents corresponding to 爯. calligraphic cursive models of this graph.
Note: The OBI and bronze equivalents of 爯 do KJ1970:549; MS1995:v2:819-20; OT1968:731;
suggest something in the shape of a sheaf or FC1974:1623-4. We suggest taking 尓 as a
bale. 爯 consists of 319 ‘claw’ or sometimes variant of ‘altar’ 723.
– as here – ‘hand’, plus the lower element
taken as either (Katō), or , in either case Mnemonic: PRAISING AND CHANTING AT
treated as phonetic with associated sense
ODD ALTAR FOR GOOD GRAIN CROP

渉1498 SHŌ stream’. is common in bronze. Shuowen lists
L1 cross (over), liaise two seal forms: the heading has with an
extra element on the right, but also notes
11 strokes the simpler form , which came to predomi-
nate later. Senses such as ‘liaise, negotiate’
KŌSHŌ negotiations are probably based on crossing from one
KANSHŌ interference side to another. MS1995:v2:778-9,v1:702-3;
SHŌGAI public relations KJ1970:623; OT1968:587.

OBI ; seal . The OBI forms vary, consist- Mnemonic: WALK THROUGH WATER TO
ing of 50 ‘river’ or / 42 ‘water’ (either
of these complete or abbreviated), and CROSS IN ORDER TO LIAISE
221 ‘walk’, thus ‘make ripples crossing a river/

紹1499 SHŌ as phonetic with associated sense ‘bend’ or
L2 introduce, inherit ‘invite’ (Mizukami). Either way, overall original
sense is ‘join threads’. By extension, gener-
11 strokes alized on the basis of bringing two things
together, giving ‘introduce, inherit’. Mizukami
SHŌKAI introduction lists proposed OBI and bronze equivalents.
SHŌKAISHA introducer GY2008:767; OT1968:775; MS1995:v2:1010-11.
JIKOSHŌKAI self-introduction
Mnemonic: SUMMONED TO INTRODUCE
Seal . Has 29 ‘thread’, and 1486 (‘sum-
mon, partake’) taken either as i] semantic and THREADS
phonetic, meaning ‘join’ (Gu, Ogawa), or ii]

訟1500 SHŌ Bronze ; seal . Has 118 ‘words; speak’,
L2 accuse, sue and 126 (originally, ‘freely open up some-
thing enclosed’; ‘public, fair’ – see) as phonetic
11 strokes with associated sense ‘attack’ (Ogawa says
‘grow violent’), thus ‘attack someone openly
SOSHŌ litigation with words’, and hence ‘quarrel, litigate’.
SOSHŌNIN plaintiff MS1995:v2:1188-9,v1:100-02; TA1965:307;
SOSHŌHIYŌ court costs OT1968:923.

Mnemonic: PUBLIC WORDS OF ACCUSATION

LEAD ONE TO SUE

444 The Remaining 1130 Characters

掌1501 SHŌ, tanagokoro hand’ (Tōdō, Ogawa), or ii] ‘take hold of with
L1 control, palm (hand) fingers’, thus ‘take hold of something with
fingers facing down’ (Katō). Based on seal
12 strokes form, shape of phonetic should have stayed
as in the traditional form, but it seems to
SHŌCHŪ in one’s hand have changed to at quite an early period
SHASHŌ conductor (clerical script, then block script). ‘Control’ is
SHOKUSHŌ hold office, duty an extended sense (cf English ‘manipulation’).
TA1965:351-2; OT1968:418; KJ1970:430-31;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 SK1984:336.
‘hand’, and 1491 (see ‘furthermore’)
as phonetic with associated sense taken Mnemonic: FURTHERMORE, PALM OF HAND
as i] ‘apply, put against’, thus ‘(that part of )
hand placed onto something’, i.e. ‘palm of CONTROLS

晶1502 SHŌ shape to 66 ‘sun’, but in all cases each ele-
L1 crystal, clear, bright ment is unrelated to ‘sun’ or ‘mouth’, instead
representing what appears as a small star in
12 strokes the sky, so the original meaning of the graph
is ‘star(s)’; by extension, ‘clear light’, ‘crystal’.
SUISHŌ crystal, quartz QX2000:223; MR2007:357; GY2008:1418;
SHŌKA crystallization KJ1970:596. For convenience we suggest
KESSHŌ crystallization remembering the graph as ‘three suns’.

OBI ; seal . Originally a pictograph. Mnemonic: THREE SUNS MAKE IT BRIGHT
Some OBI occurrences have three identical
elements similar in shape to 22 ‘mouth’, AND CRYSTAL CLEAR.
while others have three elements similar in

焦1503 SHŌ, kogeru/gasu, Bronze ; seal . Typically taken as 324
L1 aseru, jireru ‘short-tailed bird, bird’ over 8 ‘fire’, giving
‘roast bird over fire’, and by extension ‘burn, get
scorch,fret,hasty burnt’ (Gu, Ogawa, Tōdō). Katō prefers to treat

12 strokes here as phonetic with associated sense
‘burn till black’. ‘Fret’ is perhaps an extended
SHŌDO scorched earth meaning, and ‘hasty’ is a Japanese-only mean-
SHŌSHIN impatience ing. GY2008:1459; TA1965:209; OT1968:620;
kurokoge charring KJ1970:605; MS1995:v2:816-7.

Mnemonic: BIRD FRETS WHEN HASTILY

SCORCHED OVER FIRE

硝1504 SHŌ A late, post-Shuowen graph. Originally used
L1 niter, gunpowder to mean a mineral encrustation often called
‘saltpeter’, i.e. potassium nitrate, employed
12 strokes in traditional Chinese medicine for digestion
and as a laxative. Reflecting this, the corre-
SHŌSAN nitric acid sponding word in Chinese was at first written
SHŌYAKU gunpowder using the different graph (but same phonetic)
garasu* glass
332 (‘extinguish’). Later, the new graph
was devised, replacing 42 ‘water’ with

The Remaining 1130 Characters 445

47 ‘rock’. The graph comprises ‘rock, Mongols went on to attempt to invade Japan
stone’, and 1490 (‘resemble’) as phonetic in 1274 and 1281 – thwarted on both occa-
with associated sense taken in one analysis sions by typhoons (kamikaze, ‘divine wind’)
as ‘absorb, digest’, giving ‘rock mineral to aid – they took gunpowder-based weaponry,
digestion’, and by extension – based on the such as cannon and grenades. It is a profound
later use of saltpeter (Song Dynasty onwards) mystery in Japanese history as to why the
– ‘gunpowder’ (Katō). Ogawa, alternatively, Japanese did not try to develop their own
takes the associated sense of here as gunpowder-based weaponry, for they could
‘pointed, sharp’, giving ‘type of mineral with easily have retrieved cannons from sunken
crystals’, reflecting the naturally-occurrent Mongol ships (or, earlier, simply by visiting
state of saltpeter. On a historical note, China China). Instead, they waited until the arrival
is credited with the first use of gunpowder. of Portuguese in 1543, with cumbersome
Moreover, by the 10th century it had the most arquebuses, which were promptly improved
sophisticated weaponry in the world, includ- by the Japanese. KJ1970:608-9; OT1968:712;
ing explosive rockets, land mines, and flame- SS1984:445; GY2008:1397-8.
throwers. Despite this, they were beaten by
the Mongols in the 13th century. When the Mnemonic: SALTPETER RESEMBLES A STONE

粧1505 SHŌ giving shape’, i.e. ‘cosmetic powder’. Tradition-
L1 adorn, make-up ally referred to in Japanese as o-shiroi ‘white
(substance)’. It was not until the 1940s that
12 strokes
gained official status in Japan, being at
KESHŌ make-up that time included for the first time in several
KESHŌHIN cosmetics official character lists, including the Tōyō
KESHŌSHITSU powder room kanji List of 1946. Note: consists of 37
‘woman’, plus 1488 as phonetic with as-
A post-Shuowen graph, very late. For many sociated sense which Tōdō takes as ‘dress to
centuries, the underlying word was writ- look slender’, to give overall meaning ‘adorn’.
ten as (CO; see Note below). In the entry TA1965:378-80SK1996:1343; SS1984:445;
for , the early 17th century Zhengzitong ZZ1671:v1:306; OT1968:762. We suggest tak-
refers briefly to , but only to dismiss it as ing the right hand part as 127 ‘building’
an erroneous popular form. consists of and 64 ‘ground’.
220 ‘rice’, with (NJK meaning ‘countryside,’
‘level’) as phonetic with associated sense Mnemonic: ADORN EARTHEN FLOOR OF
‘build up, give shape to’, thus ‘rice powder for
BUILDING WITH RICE

詔1506 SHŌ, mikotonori i] ‘call out and summon others, announce to
L1 imperial edict inferiors’ (Mizukami), or ii] ‘inform the deities’
(Shirakawa). Ogawa, who takes here as
12 strokes semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘call out,
call’, giving ‘call over and inform’, notes that
SHŌSHO imperial edict from the Qin Dynasty onwards this graph was
SHŌREI imperial edict used to refer to edicts issued by the emperor.
TAISHŌ imperial edict Mizukami lists a proposed bronze equivalent.
MS1995:v2:1192-3; SS1984:446; OT1968:925.
Seal . Has 118 ‘words; speak’, and
1486 (‘summon’) taken in one view as seman- Mnemonic: SUMMONED TO HEAR WORDS OF
tic and phonetic (or just phonetic), meaning
‘call out facing upwards’, and taken to signify IMPERIAL EDICT

446 The Remaining 1130 Characters

奨1507 SHŌ on someone and urge on’, giving generalized
L1 urge, encourage meaning ‘urge on, encourage’. The Zhengzi-
tong and Kangxi zidian (Peking Palace printed
13 strokes edition), though, favor not ‘dog’ but 56
‘big’, and this latter form ( ) was also favored
SHŌREI encouragement in the first Jōyō kanji List, promulgated in
SUISHŌ recommendation 1923; later abbreviated to . KJ1970:550-51;
SHŌGAKUKIN scholarship KZ2001:507/3671; OT1968:250; GY2008:916.

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen); traditional . Mnemonic: URGED ON BY ENCOURAGING
The seal form has 19 ‘dog’, and abbreviation
of (traditional form of 911 ‘command[er]’) COMMANDER
as phonetic with associated sense ‘set a dog

詳1508 SHŌ, kuwashii Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 118
L1 detailed ‘words; speak’, and 426 (‘sheep’) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘detailed’, giving overall
13 strokes meaning taken as either ‘argue/debate in detail’
(Ogawa), or ‘surmise in detail’ (Shirakawa).
SHŌSAI details OT1968:928; SS1984:447.
MISHŌ vague, unclear
kuwashiku in detail Mnemonic: DETAILED TALK ABOUT SHEEP

彰1509 SHŌ extension ‘tattoos’) taken either as i] phonetic
L1 clear, open, with associated sense ‘make clear’, thus ‘clear
embellishment’ (Katō), or ii] semantic and pho-
embellishment netic, meaning ‘markings, pattern’ (Ogawa), to
give overall sense ‘bright and clear’ (Tōdō). Shi-
14 strokes rakawa takes both elements as semantic, but
also – like Katō – leading to the overall sense
HYŌSHŌ commendation ‘clear embellishment’. KJ1970:535; OT1968:346;
KENSHŌ manifestation TA1965:347; SS1984:448.
SHŌTOKU public praise
Mnemonic: THREE STROKES IN TATTOO ARE
Seal ; Has (see 115), a determinative
whose meanings include ‘light/bright, adorn’, A CLEAR EMBELLISHMENT
and 334 (‘chapter’; orig ‘tattooing needle’, by

憧1510 SHŌ, DŌ, akogareru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164
L1 yearn, aspire, admire ‘heart, mind, feeling’, with 385 (‘child’) as
phonetic (associated sense unclear). Overall
15 strokes meaning is given in Shuowen as ‘thoughts are
unsettled’. ‘Long for’ may be an extended sense.
akogare longing, yearning Suggest taking as 77 ‘stand’ and as 238
DŌKEI/SHŌKEI aspiration ‘village’. DJ2009:v3:857; OT1968:368.

Mnemonic: CHILD STANDING IN VILLAGE

HAS A YEARNING FEELING

The Remaining 1130 Characters 447

衝1511 SHŌ ‘central point where roads come together’ and
L1 collide, clash by extension ‘major road’; ‘collide’ is treated as
loan usage in this view (Ogawa). Later, center
15 strokes element was changed to 326 (‘heavy’) as
phonetic (same associated sense), and
SHŌTOTSU collision being near-homophones in Late Han times
SHŌDŌ impulse (Schuessler). Another view takes earlier as
SESSHŌ negotiations phonetic and probably abbreviation for NJK

Seal form (with 385 as center element): ‘strike against’ (Shirakawa). DJ2009:v1:160;
(Shuowen). Has / 131 ‘go, move’ (originally OT1968:899; SS1984:451; AS2007:500,622.
pictograph of crossroads), and what in seal
form was (‘child’ 385) taken in one view as Mnemonic: COLLISION OF HEAVY OBJECTS
phonetic with associated sense ‘gather’, thus
MOVING THROUGH CROSSROADS

償1512 SHŌ, tsugunau Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 41
L1 recompense, redeem ‘person’, and 542 (‘prize, praise’) taken in
one view as phonetic with associated sense
17 strokes ‘retaliate, repay (negative connotation)’, giving
likely original meaning ‘pay compensation for
SHŌKIN reparation slave previously received’ and later generalized
SHŌKYAKU redemption to ‘pay back, recompense’ (Katō). Several other
BENSHŌ compensation scholars take original meaning as ‘atone for’
(Ogawa, Shirakawa). KJ1970:540; OT1968:83;
SS1984:453.

Mnemonic: PERSON IS RECOMPENSED

WITH PRIZE

礁1513 SHŌ A late, post-Shuowen graph. Has 47 ‘rock,
L1 (hidden) reef stone’, and 1503 (‘burn, scorch’) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘draw near’, giv-
17 strokes ing ‘rocks which are near (surface of water)’.
OT1968:716.
GANSHŌ reef
ANSHŌ hidden reef, snag Mnemonic: SCORCHED ROCK BECOMES A REEF
SANGOSHŌ coral reef

鐘1514 SHŌ, kane Bronze ; seal . Has 16 ‘metal,
L1 bell money’, and 385 (‘child’) as phonetic, with
associated sense ‘strike’ (Mizukami, Ogawa).
20 strokes Mizukami then takes the overall meaning
as ‘metal musical instrument that is struck’,
KEISHŌ alarm bell while Ogawa says ‘(hanging) bell’, but these
tsurigane hanging bell seemingly different meanings are not neces-
SHŌNYŪSEKI stalactite sarily contrastive. Music played an important

448 The Remaining 1130 Characters

part in ancient China, being seen as a har- OT1968:1050; SS1984:455. We suggest tak-
monizing influence, and featured percussion ing as 77 ‘stand’ and 238 ‘village’.
instruments using bells hung on a frame
along with other instruments. The impor- Mnemonic: CHILD STANDING IN VILLAGE
tance of bells is noted by Shirakawa, who RINGS A METAL BELL
also gives a detailed labelled sketch of a rep-
resentative ancient bell. MS1995:v2:1376-7; Or: CHILD STANDING IN VILLAGE RINGS A
BELL FOR MONEY

丈1515 JŌ, take measurement varied significantly in the Zhou
L1 length, stature, meas- Dynasty, a situation which led the self-styled
‘First Emperor’ (Shih Huangdi) of the Qin
ure (c. 10 feet) Dynasty to standardise weights and measures.
Ogawa, alternatively, takes original mean-
3 strokes ing as ‘hand holding a stick’ (later written

JŌBU robust, sturdy , NJK, ‘stick’), as does Gu. Mizukami lists a
setake one’s height proposed bronze equivalent. MS1995:v1:6-7;
HŌJŌ ten feet square KJ1970:580-81; EB1974:v23:787.

Seal . In one view, analyzed as consisting Mnemonic: HAND HOLDS A STURDY CROSS
of 2003 ‘hand’ (but here to be taken rather
as ‘handspan’), and 35 ‘ten’ as semantic and TEN FEET TALL
phonetic, giving ‘ten handspans’ (Katō; see
895). Supposedly a linear measurement unit Or: TEN HAND-SPANS MEASURE AROUND
of about ten feet, but some latitude needs to
be given in interpretation here: standards for TEN FEET

冗1516 JŌ leisure at home’, and Ogawa is in agreement,
L1 superfluous saying ‘person at home without agricultural
work’; all the above scholars following the
4 strokes definition of the graph in Shuowen to some
degree. The original form with appears
JŌDAN joke to have been replaced by semantically close
JŌCHŌ verbosity
JŌGO redundant word ’cover’ after Han times; fluctuation in the
lower element continued until (in this graph
Seal . At seal stage, written with 30 ‘roof; a shape distortion, probably inadvertent)
building’, plus a lower element interpreted predominated, giving the shape familiar
as either i] ‘person’ (a separate graph from in modern Japanese usage. Regarding other
meanings such as ‘waste, excess’, Katō regards
41; see 1461 Note 2), giving , or ii] 41 these as extended senses based on a person
‘person’. Katō takes the former view, considers being without work and hence unfocused, but
the meaning in this graph to be ‘weak hunch- Ogawa regards as loan usage. DJ2009:v2:590;
back’ (based on word-family connection), KJ1970:552-3; GY2008:116; OT1968:101;
giving ‘weak hunchback unoccupied at home MS1995:v1:88-9,40-41. Suggest taking as a
without work’. The Shuowen seal form of this desk, and as a cover.
graph does have the lower element written
with what could be interpreted as representing Mnemonic: PUTTING A COVER ON A DESK IS
a hump on the back. However, others consider
it better to take the lower element as just SUPERFLUOUS
‘person’. Accordingly, Gu takes it as ‘person at

The Remaining 1130 Characters 449