480531170

154
L4
弱
JAKU, yowai/meru
weak
10 strokes
JAKUTENweak point
yowamiweakness
yowamushiweakling
Late occurrence (Shuowen). The early form (seal
script) is made up of two bows each with
the three-stroke ‘embellishment’ 115, and
this leads Shirakawa to interpret the graph as
depicting two ceremonial bows, i.e. ones not
for use in warfare and therefore not robust, giving
the sense of ‘weak’. Ogawa takes the early
graph as representing a bow being bent on a
frame so it could flex, then embellished, and by
extension ‘weak’. SS1984:398; OT1968:340. We
suggest taking as double ‘ice determinative’
401.
Mnemonic: ICED-UP BOWS ARE WEAK,
DOUBLY SO
155
首
SHU, kubi
head, neck, chief
L4
9 strokes
SHURYŌleader
kubiwanecklace
kubikiridecapitation
OBI , ; bronze . OBI forms clearly depict
the head of an animal, some with horns
(Karlgren). Some scholars (e.g. Mizukami,
Shirakawa, Qiu) tend to see some bronze
forms as showing hair attached to a person’s
head or eye. ‘Chief’ is an extended meaning.
MS1995:v2:1462-4; SS1984:401; QX2000:178;
MR2007:401; BK1957:283-4. We suggest taking
modern form as 150 ‘self/nose’ with brow
and horns.
Mnemonic: A NOSE, BROW AND HORNS
SIGNIFY A HEAD
156
秋
SHŪ, aki
and Ogawa list a complex graph made up of
autumn
87 ‘grain plant’ on the left and ‘turtle’ over
L4
9 strokes
8 ‘fire’ on the right, taking the right-hand part
as a phonetic for ‘burn’ or ‘gather’, though Qiu
BANSHŪlate autumn
considers this to be a corrupt variant. Mizukami
SHŪBUNautumn equinox
and Katō also list several simpler OBI forms that
akizoraautumn sky
appear to depict a bundle of grain plants ,
and this can be more readily seen as referring
to harvesting cereals, and by extension the
season, autumn. MS1995:v2:962-4; QX2000:234;
MR2007:424; SS1984:407; OT1968:730-1.
Much variation in elements of OBI forms such as
, , and also varied interpretations. Complex
OBI forms seem to show fire under some sort
of creature, which Qiu interprets as a hornless
dragon, but Ma takes as a cricket: quite possibly
this element served as a phonetic. Shirakawa
Mnemonic: RICE PLANTS (OR INSECTS!) CAN
GET BURNED IN AUTUMN
157
週
SHŪ
A late graph (post-Shuowen). Has 85 ‘walk,
week
go’, and 532 ‘around’ as phonetic with associated
sense ‘go round’. The extended usage for
L5
11 strokes
‘week’ based on going round one cycle, in this
SHŪKANweek
case a seven-day period, evolved through West -
SENSHŪlast week
ern influence, as traditionally in China and Japan
NISHŪmesecond week
a ten-day cycle had been the norm (see 1472).
KJ1970:1514-5; YK1976:253; SS1984:409;
DJ2009:v3:1069.
Mnemonic: ANOTHER WEEK GOES ROUND
84 The 160 Second Grade Characters