From: stueber@VAX.MPIZ-KOELN.MPG.DBP.DE
Newsgroups: fj.mail-lists.nihongo
Subject: kanji of the day #31
Date: 13 Aug 92 13:45:20 GMT
Distribution: fj

KANJI OF THE DAY # 30

                        1*****
                        ****
                        ****                ****
  2***********************************************
                  3***        4***
        5*        ****        ****
        ******    ****        ****    6***
        ****      ****        ****        ****
      ****      ****          ****          ****
      **        ****          ****          ******
    **        ****            ****            ****
  **        **      7*
                    ******
                    ****          ****
                  *****8****************
                ****            ******
              ****  9*        ******
          ****        **    ******
      ****              ******
                      ****  ****
                  ******      ********
              ******              ****************
        ********                      **********
  ******                                    ****

(Numbers indicate order and beginning of strokes)

JIS      = 3903 (serial number)
shiftJIS = 95CF (hexcode)
NELSON   = 306
MIYAMOTO = 9-29
KUNZE    = 120-36

   OnYomi: HEN
  Kunyomi: ka(waru)  -  to change, vary
           kawa(ri)  -  change
           hen(jiru) -  v.i. change into, be transformed
                        v.t. transform
           hen ni    -  curiously
           hen na    -  suspiciously-looking; queer, excentric, funny

Mnemonics:  "Cure a person of stammering"

Derivation:

The present form of HEN has been derived from the following old version:

          thread      talk              thread
           V             V                V
          **                              **
          ****      ************          ****
    **  ****                        **  ****
    ****    **    ****************  ****    **
      **  ******                      **  ******  <-- threads are signified
        ****        ************        ****          through the symbolized
      **      **                      **      **      drawing of a silk moth.
  ****************  ************  ****************
    ****  **    **                  ****  **    **
          **        ************          **
      **  **  **    **        **    **    ****
      ******    **  **        **    ****  **  ****
    ****  **    **  **        **    **    **    **
  **      **        ************  **      **
          **    **                        **
                ****
              ******************************  <-- man (human)
            ****              ******
          ****  **          ******  <-- hand holding stick
      ****        ****    ******
                    ********
                  ******  ************
            ********            ******************
  **********                            ********

The two threads at the top signify tangled threads, the "talk" part in
between signifies tangled talking or stammering. The man in the lower
part has a stick in his hand and tries to CHANGE or correct the stammering
by the usual educational means.


Compounds:

HENka      -  change, variation, metamorphosis
koeGAwari  -  change of voice

16dot version of old HEN:

      **      ********      **
    **                    **
  ****  **  ************  **  **
      **                    **
    **    **  ********    **    **
  **********            **********
      **  **  ********      **  **
  **  **                **  **
  **  ****    ********  **  ****
  **  **  **  **    **  **  **  **
      **      ********      **
        **
      **************************
  ****    **            **
            ************
  **********            **********

16dot version of HEN:

               **
                **
  ********************************
            **        **
      **    **        **    **
    ****    **        **    ****
  ****    ****        **      ****
        ****          **
            **
            ****************
          ****          **
        ****          ****
    ******  ****    ****
              ********
        ********    ********
  ********                ********


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HEN na - queer, excentric, thats the usual attribute of us: Hen na gaijin ...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Stueber
e-mail: stueber@vax.mpiz-koeln.mpg.dbp.de
Tel:  +49-221-5062537
Fax:  +49-221-5062513

This is Nr. 0031
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