From: stueber@VAX.MPIZ-KOELN.MPG.DBP.DE
Subject: kanji of the day ?40
Reply-To: NIHONGO@mitvma.mit.edu
Organization: The Internet
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:10:17 GMT

KANJI OF THE DAY # 40

      1*                          11****
      ******                      ****
      ****      ****              ****
      ***2************            ****
      **      ****                ****
    ****      **          8*      ****    ****
    **      **    ****    ****9*****************
  **3***4***************  ****    ****    ****
**  ****    5*    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****6*************    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****10**************
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****7*************            ****
    ****          ****            ****
    ****          ****            ****  13
    ****          ****            ****    **
    **            ****            ****    ****
  ****            ****  12****************  ****
  **        **********    **********        ****
**              ****      **                ****

(Numbers indicate order and beginning of strokes)

JIS      = 2828 (serial number)
shiftJIS = 9047 (hexcode)
NELSON   = 4305
MIYAMOTO = 13-333
KUNZE    =

   OnYomi: SHOKU
  Kunyomi: fu(reru)  - to touch, to mention; to conflict with;
                       to proclaim
           fu(re)    - touch, contact; official notice
           sawa(ru)  - to touch, to feel;
           sawa(ri)  - touch, feel; point (of a story);

Mnemonics:  "The pointed end of an excavator"

Derivation:

   The original form of the right hand side included a sign for
   a net and for a human figure:

          ***************
          **  **   **  **   <--- net (machinery with ropes?)
          ***************
           **
          *************  <-- human figure or worker
         **          **
                     **
               X     **   <-- X marks the place for the silk moth
                     **       which survived in the modern form of the sign.
                     **
                   **

      **                          ******  <-- silk moth
      ******                      ****        signifying "coiling"
      ****      ****              ****
      ****************            ****
      **      ****                ****
    ****      **          **      ****    ****
    **      **    ****    **********************
  **********************  ****    ****    ****
**  ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ******************    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ****    **    ****    ********************
    ****    **    ****    ****    ****    ****
    ******************            ****
    ****          ****            ****
    ****          ****            ****  **
    ****          ****            ****    **
    **            ****            ****    ****
  ****            ****  ******************  ****
  **        **********    **********        ****
**              ****      **                ****
         ^
       horn or pointed edge

The sign gives details of ancient salt mine machinery
in Szechuan about 260-250 BC. It is also used to
signify part of Szechuan province (China). A POINTED stick
is used to grind salt containing material in a circular
motion (therefore the COILED symbol). A detailed drawing
of the construction can be found in MIYAMOTO.

Compounds:

SHOKUhatsusuirai  -  contact mine
SHOKUshu          -  feeler, tentacle

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Onomatopoeia:

suru-suru to     - smoothly
tara-tara        - drop by drop
tobo-tobo        - totteringly, trudgingly
ton-ton          - a tap, rap-tap, tapping
tsuru-tsuru suru - to be smooth, to be slippery
uja-uja          - in swarms
uro-uro          - loiteringly
uto-uto suru     - to fall in a doze

   Source: Vaccari, 1969.

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

This is Nr. 0040
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Newsgroups: sci.lang.japan