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379
L1
豆
TŌ, ZU, mame
beans, miniature
7 strokes
TŌFUtofu (beancurd)
DAIZUsoybean
mameHONminiature book
OBI form ; seal . Originally a pictograph of
a round vessel on a stem (varied in height) with
a splayed foot, to serve meat or other food;
later, some such vessels (Ch. dou) served a ritual
purpose. In Tōdō’s word-family ‘stand upright’.
The graph seems to have been borrowed to
represent a different word (of same pronunciation
in Han times) meaning ‘bean, soybean’;
the meaning ‘small’ may be an extended use
from ‘bean’ (something small). KJ1970:733-4;
MR2007:314; QX2000:179,356; TA1965:281-3;
SS1984:642; AS2007:215-6. We suggest taking
the top lateral stroke as ‘one’ (1).
Mnemonic: ONE MINIATURE BOX ON STAND,
FULL OF BEANS
380
L3
島
TŌ, shima
island
10 strokes
RETTŌarchipelago
TŌMINislanders
shimaguniisland nation
Seal ; this is a late graph (Shuowen). Has
26 ‘mountain’, and (abbreviated shape
for 190 ‘bird’) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘big waves’, to give ‘mountains
(or other land projecting up) surrounded by
sea’, namely ‘island’. YK1976:387; KJ1970:668;
OT1968:304.
Mnemonic: BIRD ALIGHTS ON MOUNTAIN-
OUS ISLAND
381
湯
TŌ, yu
hot water
L3
12 strokes
SENTŌpublic bath
yugesteam
CHAnoyutea ceremony
Bronze ; seal . Has 42 ‘water’, and
161 (‘sun shining up high’) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘hot sun, hot’. MS1995:v2:768-9;
KJ1970:879; YK1976:388; OT1968:596. We suggest
taking 66 ‘sun’ with as rays.
Mnemonic: RAYS FROM RISING SUN MAKE
WATER HOT
382
登
TŌ, TO, noboru
climb
L3
12 strokes
TŌJŌappearance
TOZANmountaineering
kinoboritree-climbing
OBI forms , ; bronze . Interpretations
diverge. Often taken as ‘tread or step
heavily’, with 379 ‘food vessel’ as phonetic
with associated sense ‘climb’ (Mizukami, Katō,
Yamada). An alternative analysis is found in
Ma, taking the second common OBI form
above as showing a stone platform or pedestal
for mounting a horse, with two helping hands
below and the feet of the rider above;
Shirakawa also takes the element similar
in shape to as a mounting platform.
MS1995:v2:894-5; KJ1970:733; YK1976:388;
MR2007:239-40; SS1984:648. We suggest in
its original meaning ‘tall food vessel’, and as
funny feet.
Mnemonic: TWO FUNNY FEET CLIMB TALL
FOOD VESSEL
138 The 200 Third Grade Characters