漢字成り立ち

figure 1 kanji etymology shou 195x300 195x300 - Kanji: 小

Kanji: 小

By Ponte Ryūrui / 24/05/2012 /

Xiao Xu Ben a revision of Shuowen Jiezi written by the Late Han dynasty scholar Xu Kai, supports the above mentioned definition of 小, by further explanation

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figure 1 kanji etymology shi 300x247 300x247 - Kanji: 子

Kanji: 子

By Ponte Ryūrui / 19/01/2012 /

子 is believed to be ruled by the water element (one of the four elements of nature that define the Chinese zodiac, and those are: 木 {pinyin: mù, i.e.

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figure 1 kanji etymology yama 141x3001 141x300 - Kanji: 山

Kanji: 山

By Ponte Ryūrui / 11/01/2012 /

The sound and secondary meanings of the character 山 are strongly related to ancient Chinese myths. In “Explaining Simple (Characters) and

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figure 1 kanji etymology san 300x272 300x272 - Kanji: 三

Kanji: 三

By Ponte Ryūrui / 04/01/2012 /

三 is also closely related to the divinatory system of 64 hexagrams, introduced in the Book of Changes, also known as Five Classics (易経, pinyin: Yì jīng) whose

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figure 1 kanji etymology kou 226x300 226x300 - Kanji: 校

Kanji: 校

By Ponte Ryūrui / 24/12/2011 /

校 consists of two main radicals, which are 木 (き, ki, i.e. “wood”) and 交 (こう, kō, i.e. “mingle”, “mixing”). 木 is a pictograph of a tree, whereas 交 is the

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figure 1 hidari 214x300 214x300 - Kanji: 左

Kanji: 左

By Ponte Ryūrui / 17/12/2011 /

To fully understand the meaning of the character 左, one should combine it with the one of the character 右 (みぎ, migi, i.e. “right”), on which a

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figure 1 kuchi 141x300 141x300 - Kanji: 口

Kanji: 口

By Ponte Ryūrui / 13/12/2011 /

the 口 radical in characters such as 古, 右,　可,　名,　各,　吾,　吉, etc., is in fact a pictograph of a ritual vessel or container and not a mouth.

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