Thursday, 3 November 2011

Thing / Matter


Reading: JI, ZU, koto
Stokes: 8

Etymology:
Originally, this character showed a hand holding a flag or a sign aloft.

It's meaning was a place/form of work,  such as a guild or a trade (think of a striped barber's pole).

Over time, the style changed to the one shown, but the meaning of work/matter remained.

The current character is a collection of radicals.  From top to bottom they are: Ten, box and hand.

Mnemonic: HANDLING TEN BOXES WITH ONE HAND IS NO SMALL MATTER.

(Based upon Henshall, 1998)

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