Introduction Score vou begin the individual study of 1100 kanji, mmend that you read the three chapters on the rtr.eral history of kanji and related issues. In Chapter 1 "The Historical Development of : Forms," the historical development of the three ~ijor styles of ancient writings into modern writings - .imined, looking at how the visible connection >crween a kanji writing and its meaning, which was obvious in ancient writing styles, faded away as the :igs grew to be standardized into a more uniform i. This new style was solidified during the Han Ml) Dynasty, resulting in the writing style called hanzi Ml? "the writing of the Han") or kanji in Japanese, and it has remained for the next two millennia. In Chapter 2 "Kanji Formation Types and Dictionary Section Headers (Bushu)" the four types of kanji formation are discussed. Of the four tvpes, phonetic-semantic composition formation is generally credited with creating a large majority of the kanji. Knowledge of the recurring components in phonetic-semantic kanji provides a powerful tool to expand ones kanji knowledge. For this reason, a table of all the 184 types of dictionary section headers called bushu that appear in our 1100 kanji is provided with its description and example kanji. These 184 section headers cover virtually all the kanji used in present-day publications in the Japanese language. Chapter 3 "Development of Japanese Writing Systems" focuses on Japan, which did not have a writing system initially, and discusses how the writings that were born in China influenced the Japanese language, not only in its writing system but also its sound system and vocabulary. In addition, this chapter discusses how two phonetic letter systems of katakana and hiragana were developed from kanji for different purposes and in different ways, and eventually the writing system of the present-day style emerged. Main Body 1100 Kanji—History, Meanings, and Use In addition to providing the missing links between each kanjis form and meaning, The Key to Kanji: A Visual History oj 1100 Characters also provides all aspects of kanji study—sound, form, meaning, section header, usage, and stroke order—that learners will need to have for a complete picture of kanji. Each of the 1100 kanji in this book contains the following information: THE KEY TO KANJI Sample Kanji Tablefor ft vA) Serial numbt @ Kanji in kyokasho-tai font ©Co divide; portion; Meaning in English —9- to understand; to realize; minute ON-KUN READINGS; HEADER: J 77 ©Header (F) On-kun readings (6) Illustration ©Origin ORIGIN: The top ' N "dividing into two" and the bottom 77 "swotd; knife" or "to cut" indicated not only "to divide" or portion" but also "minute" because an hour is divided into 60 minutes." Also, when something is explained in a clear-cut manner, it is easily understood. The kanji means "to divide," "portion," "minute," or "to undetstand; to realize." "73i+£ to divide + plentifully 'rt^i> to understand, to realize i-'jf five minutes <0&& sensible j Ih&KOi -fc#@ seven-tenths (H) Sample words I- m CD Strokes A Serial number (1 through 1100): The Key to iji contains 1100 kanji that are numbered according to the "ow-reading" of kanji, which are Chinese derivative pronunciations. - Kanji in kyokasho-tai font: The kyokasho-tai :book style" typeface is the best approximation of an ideal handwriting style, which students are encouraged to emulate. - English definition: The meanings of each kanji are given in English. Compound kanji words have different meanings, but it is helpful to know the core meaning of each individual kanji. - Origin: The historical development of each kanji is explained in English. To clarify the delineation between ancient meanings and modern day mean- ings, past tense is used to indicate historical uses while current tense is used to indicate present uses. (D Header (dictionary section header): A dictionary section header (bushu) found in traditional kanji dictionaries is provided for each kanji. The Key to Kanji includes 184 kanji section headers. A section header has sometimes been called a radical in English as well. (f) On-kun readings: The ow-reading (Chinese derivative pronunciation) is indicated in katakana, and the £««-reading (Japanese pronunciation) is indicated in hiragana. © Illustration: Each kanji's historical development is illustrated in steps. A drawing of: (a) the image of the original meaning, (b) an ancient writing Introduction - — rrom the oracle-bone style, bronze- vie, (c) the meaningful components . ■ .~ . and (d) the present-day kanji form. Wi Sample words: An average of six frequently used weeds arc chosen per kanji withfurigana (Japa-aese phonetic guides) and meanings in English. There are approximately 6500 words in this book. Some of the words that are customarily ■ :r. a particular kanji, but not necessarily ■. : ..:"< mg its corresponding on-kun readings as described in (f), are also included.1 Strokes: Each kanji's stroke order is fully illustrated in kyokasho-tai font in clear precise graphics. The total number of strokes is also provided. ii selection Tie total of 1100 kanji in The Key to Kanji includes •Z :: the 1006 kanji on the educational kanji list I *?), whichisthelistofkanjithattheJapanese ernment requires textbook writers to introduce in ry school education in Japan. An additional 94 re selected from the list of commonly-used kanji ■■r,o-kanji 'S'ffljH?)2; these were chosen based on uxtbooks commonly used in the United States and inked to various proficiency test requirements in the J States and United Kingdom.3 A kun-reading is essentially a matching up of an existingjapanese - ord with the kanji form of the same meaning. However, the use of itanji in some words may vary to some extent depending on the pur-rose or genre of writing or the individual writer's style. -The commonly-used kanji list contains 1945 kanji, 1006 of which ire designated as educational kanji. In 2010 a change is expected to include some additional kanji. \\"ith one or two exceptions, the book contains all the kanji introduced in the following materials: 377 kanji from Japanese as Written Language (Jorden andNoda 1995); 317 kanji from Genki I & II ,Banno ct al. 1999); 390 kanji homNakama 1 &2 (Makino et. al. 1998 & 2000); 500 kanji from Kihon Kanji 1 &2 (Kano et. al. 1989); 410 kanji from the Advanced Placement Test in Japanese (College Board 2006) in the United States; and 600 kanji from the GCSE, AS and A2 kanji lists (Edexcel Foundation 2006 ) in the United Kingdom. Indexes to search for kanji Being able to locate kanji quickly and efficiently is crucial for a reference book. As noted in A, the 1100 kanji in The Key to Kanji are arranged in order of their ow-reading (Index 1). We also provide five additional indexes for user navigation in the back of the book. The six indexes are as follows: INDEX 1: Order of Appearance in The Key to Kanji This is the list of the 1100 kanji arranged according to its on-reading (Chinese derivative pronunciation) in the order of the Japanese Syllabary, or the Table of Fifty Syllables (J5.~r*it"[II), which is a-i-u-e-o, ka-ki-ku-ke-ko, etc. INDEX 2: On- and Kun-Readings: Japanese Syllabary Order (A+^]l»^Sl||*A) This index lists all the on-readings and kun-readings (Japanese pronunciation) of the 1100 kanji in this book in the order of the Japanese Syllabary. Following convention, the on-reading is given in katakana and kun-reading in hiragana. INDEX 3: On- and Kun-Readings in Romaji This index is for beginning students who may be using romaji (alphabetical rendition). Two types of romaji, the kunrei system and the Hepburn system, are included. INDEX 4: Arranged by Total Number of Strokes This index references the total number of strokes in a kanji. When the pronunciation is not known, you can count the total number of strokes and look it up in this index. 0 THE KEY TO KANJI INDEX 5: Arranged by Section Header («P*lcJt-5*5l) In the traditional kanji dictionaries, kanji are arranged according to a recurring part of the kanji called the section header or busbu, or sometimes known as the radical in English. This book contains 184 dictionary section headers. Look for the stroke number and you can quickly locate the kanji within a category of kanji. The arrangement of the section headers also tollows convention. INDEX 6: Arranged by the Educational Kanji Designation (*^']^'13t?) This index is useful for heritage students and students who study kanji using textbooks that follow the grade designations from the Japanese government. Benefits to Students and Teachers at All Levels The Key to Kanji was written for students and teachers of the Japanese language at all levels. Here are some general thoughts fot using this book. If you are a beginner or a teacher of beginners, this book will serve as a reference accompanying your primary textbook. By using the pronunciation in the textbook as your guide, you can use the index to find the desired kanji. First, read the explanation on what the kanji consists of and view the corresponding illustrations. After you understand the connection between the kanji's form and its meaning, write out the kanji in the stroke order shown. Keep in mind that the kanji is a result of a writing process that developed over more than three thousand years and the stroke order is a part of the tradition. Using the right stroke order will help you remember the kanji, and believe it or not, Japanese can usually tell from the writing if you did the strokes out of order. If you have more time, read through the sample words, and get accustomed to the idea that an individual kanji has more than one reading and meaning. If you are an intermediate-level student or a teacher of intermediate-level students, you have probably studied nearly four hundred kanji already. Now you can learn new kanji in a new way and increase kanji knowledge and vocabulary at the same time. Re-learn familiar kanji by carefully dissecting them into meaningful components. You will notice that those meaningful units reappear in other kanji that are telated in meaning or pronunciation. They give you valuable building blocks fot your intermediate-level study and beyond. Then, study sample words that use the kanji that you are studying. Learning to use a familiar kanji in different words is an effective way to increase the breadth of your vocabulary, which is an important goal of your study at the intetmediate level. If you are an advanced-level student or a teacher of advanced-level students, nearly all new vocabulary words that you will learn are compound kanji words. For that reason, knowledge of kanji is crucial to your progress in learning the Japanese language even if you are more interested in speaking than reading or writing. Sit back, read through this book, and keep your mind open to this new approach to understanding kanji. Study the 184 section-header table carefully, and you will begin to realize that kanji and words that did not seem necessarily connected before are actually connected. Since the majority of kanji are formed by way of "phonetic-semantic composite formation," you have a powerful tool in deciphering a new unfamiliar kanji in its meaning and/or pronunciation to expand your kanji knowledge to all of the approximately 2000 kanji that are currently used in Japanese. 0 Introduction : -• ou are studying for a proficiency test, such as -is: I anguage Proficiency lest, in addition Ac suggestions above, it may be useful to keep in - ' : v; following: \tany ot the standardized proficiency tests require gnition. This books focus on the relation-»between a kanjis form and meaning is helpful - -.: .r:r.g tor these tests because you will be able wcognize the meaning of components of unfamil-■ tinji. The 6500 sample words were chosen for its fcquent use in Japanese newspapers (on-line media, particular) and will be useful in expanding your Jary along with deepening your kanji study. If you are a parent or a teacher of a student in a heritage Japanese language school or supplementary Japanese school (H ^H-li ^ t£), this book is a good reading book for your student. A gap between fluent speaking skills and lower-level kanji knowledge can hinder further learning of compound words, which is essential in reaching adult-level proficiency. This book will fill that gap. The visual illustration that shows the origin of kanji in this book will motivate younger students to stay interested in kanji and maintain their efforts in Japanese language study. For any student, the visual can only aid in comprehension. 0 CHAPTER 1 The Historical Development ofKanji Forms styles kanji medium oracle-bone inscription animal bones to record communication between rulers and gods Late Shang (Ing) j§j ■ Mx (cir. 1300-1000 b.c.) ancient forms bronze ware inscription bronze same as above: later to commemorate events Late Shang (Ing) S ■ Ix (cir. 1300-1000 b.c.) and Zhou (Chow) M Dynasty (1045-256 b.c.) official-seal style L.j:?TA, bronze, stone to spread ruler's policies throughout the country Qin # (221-206 b.c.) modern forms clerical style bamboo tablets, paper and brush to distribute and preserve large numbers of government documents and literature Han fT3t • ?&3t (202b.c-220a.d.) grass style till paper and brush to be able to write a large number of characters faster THE DEVELOPMENT OF KANJI IN CHINA over a millennium for the ruling class as a means to communicate with the gods and demonstrate power over people came to be used as a means of communication among the popular class. The writing forms became more regulated, simpler forms over time and have remained virtually unchanged to the present day. We will have a brief overview of how present-day kanji developed from the forms used in ancient times in China. The origin of the word kanji (Hanzi in Chinese) The word kanji is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word hanzi, written as 31?. Hanzi literally means the writing of the Han people (31 /han/ in Chinese and /kan/ in Japanese; ^ /zil in Chinese and /ji/ in Japanese). During the Han Dynasty (202 b.c. to 220 a.d.), which is the longest-ruling dynasty in China, the ancient writing forms that had existed Chapter 1 ■ • . i~z Kanji Forms - : Litionship between . .ind its meaning Ik Oracle-Bone Inscription JbJcotsubun imcst writings in Chinese history were inscribed ^iments of the underside shells (plastron) of < or shoulder bones of animals. Some of these amc been found on archaeological sites of the later ::.r.:- it the Shang S (or lug W() Dynasty around : 1 000 b.C. The style of these earliest types of zři ancient writings is called kookotsubun Í "i*^C (liter-■ rtoise shell writing), or oracle-bone writing in as is more commonly known, because these ngs were the recordings of divinations sought :i^t by rulers. In ancient times in China, a ruler was thought t: :>e able to communicate with his ancestral god. der would conduct a religious rite of divination :: receive this god's will on important matters. In ■ration for a divination, a small hole was drilled a piece of or whole tortoise underside shell or a •roulder bone of another animal, and a thin wooden . was placed in it. As the wooden stick burned, rortoise shell became heated and cracks would ear. These lines made by the cracks were read as the revelation of a gods will. A ruler made decisions this way on such matters as when to begin a battle igainst an enemy, how to rule his people, or when to plant seedlings and harvest crops. An inscription was later made adjacent to those cracks with a sharp knife, recording how the oracle had been read and how the event actually turned out. This was the beginning of writing in Chinese history. The oracle-bone writings were pictographs of life in ancient China. They depicted a person or people in various situations or relationships, animals and other aspects of nature, common objects, ideas, society, technology, and so on. Carving these pictographs with a sharp knife gave this style its characteristic thin straight lines. It is only at the turn of the twentieth century when it came to be known that the mysterious carvings on old bones found in the fields of a village in Anyan were, in fact, the earliest writing of kanji, and that they were the precursors to the inscriptions found on ancient bronze ware. An often recited story is that the village people would crush these old animal bones with mysterious markings into powder and sell it as medicine with miraculous effects. The discovery of those writings lead to new discoveries of archaeological sites for the Shang Dynasty. It also became very important to understand how kanji originated prior to the bronze ware inscription style. The Bronze Ware Inscription {Kinbun £X) The second oldest kanji type is seen in the inscriptions on the bronze vessels and other bronze artifacts from the Shang Dynasty and the succeeding Zhou Dynasty. The style is called kinbun (literally, metal writing), or the bronze ware inscription style in English. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, large bronze vessels and other bronze objects were used in religious rites worshipping ancestral gods. The inscriptions were found on the inner walls of vessels so that only the ancestral gods could see them. This suggests that the writings were intended as means of communication by rulers or priests to the ancestral gods. Some vessels contained wine, food, grains, and other offerings. Some were used to cook sacrificial animals for offerings. THE KEY TO KAN JI Later, inscriptions were made on the outside of bronze ware to chronicle important events, such as a victory in a battle. The expensive commemorative bronze ware was often given as rewards or awards with the intent to demonstrate the power and wealth of the givers. Writings were still exclusively used by the ruling class, but the sanctity that the writings previously had in earlier times had diminished and became secularized. Making bronze ware required enormous wealth and resources because it involved not only the materials but also a large number of skilled workers with knowledge of casting technology. Only rulers with great power and resources could produce them. The process of making bronze ware was complex and took a long time. The characteristics of the bronze ware inscriptions also reflect how they were made. The use of a clay mold made the inscribed lines of the writings thicker or bolder than those in the oracle-bone style. Because of their design and detail, the bronze ware vessels and other objects from these times have been treasured as art objects throughout history. The Official Seal Style {Tenbun iHk^O) After several centuries of war among smaller inde-pendent states, the Emperor Shi Huangdi (inJl'S") unified the country and began a new dynasty, called the Qin (fil), in the third century b.c. Shi Huangdi carried out a number of new policies and measures for a newly centralized government. They included introducing a uniform legal system; banning the political philosophies that he viewed as opposing his centralized legalistic governing, such as Confucianism; unifying the system of weights and measures to be used throughout the country, introducing a new national monetary system; and ordering a number of civil engineering projects, including the foundation of what would become the Great Wall of China. With extraordinary military skills, he expanded the empire ruthlessly and toured the country, leaving stone plaques, with inscriptions boasting of his power in many places. During the preceding Warring States era, a number of different writing forms had existed or developed in the various regions. As part of his centralization of power, Shi Huangdi ordered the unification of these writing systems throughout the country. He adopted a style that was developed from the style used by his own people. This new style is called tenbun -fC^l, or official seal style in English, because this writing style was used for official documents. This style is characterized by long cursive lines and each character being able to fit in a vertically oblong space, giving it refined elegance and uniformity. This dignified style was suitable for formal official inscriptions on stone such as Shi Huangdi s dictates and notice of the new unified measuring system which was sent out all around the country. For its beauty, the Tenbun style is the longest-lasting style of kanji in Chinese history. Throughout its history, regardless of the dynasty, this official seal style was used by the imperial courts and government officials in their official seals as well as a signature seal in art work. In Japan today, this official seal style is still used for custom-made personal or corporate legal seals that are registered with the government. The Common Characteristics of the Ancient Writings The three ancient writing styles just reviewed have characteristics that are different from the later writing forms. Chapter 1 "national in that the graphic shapes are suggestive of the origin of each kanji. Let us look at be a»n—:i forms of the kanji 31 "rain," M. "cowry (money shell)," and 7C "origin" and see how the three mmka progressed over nearly a millennium in Table 1. " Comparison of the Three Ancient Writing Styles (A) ORACLE-80NE INSCRIPTION (B! BRONZE WARE INSCRIPTION (C) OFFICIAL SEAL STYLE MODERN KANJI (KAI-STYLEj it* ;*?(#*) i~r~> i«i m F A XID ? % ľ 5 7Č x r-.c oracle-bone inscription style, in above _ ~ n A. the forms are pictograms, the captured r-jges of objects, items of nature, people, their "t-inonships, ideas, and so on. The writing form r:r "rain" depicted water drops from a higher r_=ce which was shown in a line on top; the writing for "cowry or money shell" was a depiction of ry shell, which showed the side that had an : rening; the writing for "origin or head" depicted : view of a person standing where the head is n above the neck, and below the neck, the body with an arm. The head is where one's mind originates, thus "origin." In the oracle-bone style, those shapes were still clear drawings. In the bronze ware inscription style, in above column B, the lines are thicker and bulkier and slightly less representational, yet it is not hard to see the origin of each character. By the time of the official seal style in above column (C), the thickness of the lines was more uni-form.The forms for "rain" and "cowry or money shell" demonstrate a symmetry, and the form for "origin; head" shows better balance. The height is greater than the width, and the lines tend to be elongated in the lower half of the form reflecting balanced elegance with dignity. As a whole, the official seal style became more of an abstract writing form, yet we can still see the original meaning. In all of the ancient writings, with some effort of imagination, it is not impossible for us, the people of modern times, to glimpse back to the original meaning. There is a strong visual connection between these ancient forms and the original meaning, which was lost when the next style, called the reisho style MtW "clerical style," came along. That signaled the end of the ancient writing systems. Modern Kanji Forms Two Millennia Unchanged The Clerical-Style Kanji {Reisho IMr) The clerical style During the Qin Dynasty, the official seal style was used for royal decrees inscribed in stone and important orders from the central government. The writing still embodied the meaning in a visual image and was aesthetically powerful and THE KEY pleasing. It is easy to imagine how people around the country were aware of the power of the new centralized ruling government. However, the unification of the country and centralization of power created increasing volumes of documents, and the officials and their clerks had to find a way to write faster in order to keep up with their ever increasing work load. Soon a more simplified style emerged during the Qin Dynasty. The new style called reisho Slitr was said to have been invented by a lower-level clerk, who was also a prisoner. Thus it was called reisho (literally, the writing of someone who does manual labor). This clerical-style writing became the norm in the succeeding Han Dynasty and was established as the common writing system of China that is used to this day. These writings over time came to be called hanzi /H?—(writing of the Han) and kanji in Japan. The characteristics of the clerical style are: a) The lines are long and straight and the diagonal lines end with a sharp rise at the end. b) The width of the oblong space is greater than the height, which is different from the official seal style. This was due to the common use of bamboo tablets for writing. When a brush crosses sideways against the grain of the bamboo, it requires a little pressure, and it is more likely to result in a longer stroke sideways. c) The lines and the angles of bending were more uniform. For ease of people being able to recognize the shapes of kanji and recreating the same shapes themselves, it was necessary that lines become aligned with each other and shapes become geometric. As a result, the original connection between the image of meaning and the written form was diminished, and by and large, it became unrecognizable. KANJI Writing was no longer the embodiment of people's prayers to the gods or a means to demonstrate the power of a ruler. Evolving away from the form itself, the message conveyed by the language became the most important purpose. Stripping away the symbolic uses, kanji became a writing system for communication among the people. Writing Tools and Invention of Paper Animal bones, bronze, stone In the development of writing systems, the changes in the available writing surfaces and writing tools played important roles. In the earliest writing forms, such as the oracle-bone inscription, pieces of the collar bone of a cow or the plastron of a tortoise were excised using a sharp knife. Carving with a rather sharp object like a knife created thin straight lines in depicting images of the meaning. In the bronze ware inscription, an alloy of bronze was what the writings were left on and the means to create the writing was molded clay. This left the lines thicker and uneven and the shapes and sizes were not uniform. In the official seal style, a plaque of stone was the writing surface and the tool was a chisel. All of those required the resources of skilled artisans as well as special materials. Thus the person who actually made the writing and the person who spoke those words were quite different. Other media was also being used in ancient times. Ink was made from the soot of burning pine chips or burning vegetable oil and brushes were made from animal hair. There were several writing surfaces available: silk cloth, wood and bamboo tablets, and paper. Silk cloth is made of filaments taken from silk worm cocoons. Silk had existed before cotton was introduced to China from the south. The technology of silk-raising was well-guarded by those who .possessed 0 »: -• ~'i> scarce and expensive. It was only —i.- ; special occasions by the nobles, other hand, bamboo tablets wete because bamboo grows in a I "... In the regions in the north and srnere bamboo did not grow, wooden tab-eboI The wooden tablets were wider. In the . tury, a series of explorations led by 5 >uch as Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin dis-■■mcrous such wooden and bamboo tablets oner important artifacts, which dated back to or -_- Dynasty. - .. bamboo tablet was made was that a -mboo stalk was cut vertically into one- or i-ccr, wide strips. The surface was heated to force ■I to the surface, which made a rougher surface wrae on and preserved the color better. Using an nLi_ nair brush, they wrote on the surface of the - rxxj cablets. The written bamboo or wooden tab-- ere laid flat and bound with strings to make a en after paper began to be used, vertical lines it: r-nnted on it, not only as a writing guide, but to itrserve the appearance of the old bamboo tablets. The invention of paper was attributed to Ts'ai Lun e ~.e earlv second century. He received strong support —:~: the emperor to produce paper in quantity. This -ethod involved hemp plants or tree bark being boiled ■ a lye solution to soften them and then pounded - : wn into a flat surface of fibers using a mallet. The invention of paper and an increased demand Bf a writing surface due to rising government use lad intellectual activities coincided. Compared to ibe bulky bound bamboo or wood tablets, paper drastically reduced the physical volume of records and made them easier to transport. It became more easily available to intellectuals and literate people in general. The reduced volume, portability, and better access to a writing medium that paper provided all contributed to solidifying the contemporary reisho style as the form of writing to be used from then on. The First Kanji Dictionary Shuowen Jiezi: Thefirst kanji dictionary compiled As we will discuss in the next chapter, one of the most frequently used methods of making a new kanji is to juxtapose two different components, one of which represents the sound and the other the meaning. This is a very productive way to create a new kanji, and by the latter half of the Han Dynasty, the number of kanji on record amounted to almost ten thousand. The first scholarly kanji study was compiled in 100 a.d. and was called Shuowen Jiezi ifo^M^. In Shuowen Jiezi, each kanji was given an explanation of its meaning based on the origin. To make the link between the clerical-style kanji form and its meaning, the author, Xu Shen, used the visual descriptiveness of the official seal style. Shuowen Jiezi became the foundation of kanji classification and the two major principles used remain the fundamental kanji classification to this day. In classifying 9353 kanji, a principle called hushu 'section header,' was used. These sections are components that repeatedly appear in other kanji and share similar meanings. In Shuowen Jiezi there were 540 types of section headers. Another principle that impacted kanji study throughout the history of kanji was the classification of kanji formations. The kanji were classified into six types of writings called Rikusho i~^s. They are: a) pictograph b) indicative c) semantic composite d) phonetic-semantic composite e) transformation and f) borrowing. The last two types are in fact 0 THE KEY TO KANJI not how a kanji was formed, but how it came to be used. With some modification, kanji dictionaries in modern times possess this same classification. The over nine thousand kanji entries in Shuowen Jiezi included variant forms. A variant form is a form that might be slightly different in part but still retains the same meaning. Emergence of grass-style writing and reduced forms As kanji came to be used by more people in quick informal communication, a style that was more suitable for rapid writing was sought. Unlike the ancient people, to whom writing was sacred communication with the gods or a demonstration of political power over subjects, the people in the Han period saw kanji as simply a means of written communication. Speed and clarity of the writing became important as people's lives became more complicated. A couple of changes took place to simplify kanji. 1) grass-style writing One was a new, more fluid writing style, called the grass-style soosho if, that emerged away from the more square and rigid clerical-style. In the grass-style, a quick move of a writing brush connects a few strokes together in a fluid manner, resulting in a reduction of the number of strokes producing a style that was more fluid. When kanji was introduced to Japan, this cursive style of writing played an important role in the development of Japanese phonetic letters called hiragana as discussed in Chapter 3. 2) reduced forms Another way of reducing the stroke number that took place during the Han Dynasty was seen in some recurring components. Earlier, even in ancient writings, a writing sometimes necessitated a depiction of a shape that was sideways into a vertical shape. A table and animals are some examples. A composite formation of new kanji that often placed two components next to each other further necessitated shrinking the size of the recurring components. Commonly used components such as the kanji "water" was reduced to > (called sanzui) and the kanji A "person" was reduced to 4 (called ninben). During the Han Dynasty, kanji reached a stage of final form and the fundamental shape of kanji did not change for the next two millennia except for some simplification in China. When kanji was introduced to Japan, the Japanese people adapted it to their oral language in its entirety. The kanji form, meaning, and sound all became part of the Japanese language. Before long the Japanese people started to devise two types of phonetic letter systems in order to express ideas in the Japanese language more freely while preserving kanji writing. There will be a brief overview of kanji in the Japanese language in Chapter 3. 0 CHAPTER 2 Kanji Formation Types & Dictionary Section Headers FOURTYPES OF KANJI FORMATION :te tour different ways in which kanji are formed: I. Pictographic Formation 1 Indicative Formation 3. Phonetic-Semantic Composite Formation NLmantic Composite Formation " :ne first two types (pictographic formation : --.dicative formation), there is a one-on-one cornice between a kanji's form and meaning, other two types (phonetic-semantic composite on and semantic composite formation) are in which two or more already existing forms luxtaposed to form new kanji. Pictographic Formation pictograph is a simple picture that represents ■caning for the purpose of conveying a message to :mer people. In the history of kanji in China, the dictograph was the oldest form of writing. They sere images expressed in linear drawings outlining an object, people, nature, matter, idea, animal, and others. For example, in order to express "a moon," a crescent idea. The pictograph for thread :-- • were put together and new chronicle" was created. Composite Formation armarion type in which two or more com-rere juxtaposed retain the meanings of . - - --.portents but create a new kanji with .-- . ■ -v it four examples: 7: indicate the meaning "to rest," the kanji c^on,* from a standing person viewed ■ die side, and 7K "tree," from a standing tree woe combined to indicate someone leaning : i tree resting, creating the kanji "to rest." The kanji $C "to take, seize or catch" was tamed by the two kanji ^ "ear" and %. "hand," ^gairving that when one holds someone or an ;r--ial by the ear, he is in control. ' = The kanji is "trust" is a semantic composite :: :_-,e two kanji A "person" (i) and T "word," -:^t.:fying that a persons word is worthy of trust. — The kanji "right side" is a semantic composite of two pictographs, the right hand ind a mouth One carries food to the mouth g the right hand, thus indicating "right side." >ther Types of Kanji )rrowed kanji addition to the four types of formation above, . re are a small number of kanji whose current meanings have no relevance to the original meanings, but : »er were "borrowed" from other already existing uiji. Since they were not formed anew, this type is - :ally excluded from the formation type discussion. For instance, the kanji "nothing" originally depicted a person who was dancing, possibly in a religious trance. However, when another kanji H was created with two moving feet underneath, that one came to be used to mean "to dance." The meaning "nothing" was attached to the kanji that originally meant dance, but it had no relation to the origin of the kanji. Kanji that was "borrowed" from other kanji includes the ones for some numbers, such as E9 "four," .£. "five," "six," -t "seven," and other common ideas, such as Ä "he" and jft "east." Kanji that originated in Japan The kanji used in the Japanese writing systems almost all originated in China. There are a small number of kanji that were created in Japan and they are called kokuji SI?. For instance, the kanji i6 "to put in, include" was made up of the kanji X "to enter" and a i_ "go-forward" on the lower left side. The kanji HI "country" was made up of an enclosure to signify the land and a S "crown jewel," which represented the ruler. (The original form for country H was also used.) The kanji ^ "mountain path" was made up of three kanji, ill "mountain," Jl "above," and T "below." It indicated a place on a mountain where one went up and down. The kanji that were originated in Japan are of semantic composite formation. It is also worthwhile to note here that the question of which formation type particular kanji belongs to may differ depending on the kanji reference material. (Most reference materials follow the classification by the Kangxi Zidian, as explained below.) This is due to different scholarly interpretations of the ancient writing forms. Also, the ancient forms on the artifacts found at archaeological sites or even museums vary greatly depending on regions or eras. THE KEY BUSHU (SECTION HEADERS) Most bushu, or section headers, originated as picto-graphs and reached the present-day forms with significantly reduced stroke numbers during the Han Dynasty. During this standardization of kanji when much of the visual relationship between the form and its meaning was lost, the bushu section headers also lost the visual connection between the form and its meaning. Bushu and the Kangxi Zidian The section header method of classifying kanji that Xu Shen had used in Shuowen in the early second century continued to be used in the eighteenth-century kanji dictionary, the Kangxi Zidian ^IR? •Sft (Kokijiten in Japanese). The Kangxi Zidian kanji dictionary was compiled in 1716 under the order of Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) and laid the foundation for present-day kanji dictionaries. This dictionary was quite large because the number of kanji had continued to increase, regardless of actual use. By the Kangxi Zidian dictionary, there were 49,000 known kanji including variant forms. The Kangxi Zidian left two important legacies that still impact our use of kanji to this day. One is a reduction of the kanji section header bushu and the other is the Mincho-style typeface that was used in this dictionary. Bushu Section Headers The 540 section headers that were used in the begin-ningofthe second century were reduced to 240 in this eighteenth century dictionary. Within the 240 kinds of section headers, the member kanji within each section were further divided according to the number of strokes that comprised the remaining components KANJI in each word. A user who is used to phonetic letters in alphabetical order may find the method of section headers cumbersome. More recently, some dictionaries in Japan arrange kanji in the on-reading for the use by a Japanese speaker as well. (A kanji with multiple on-readings requires an extra step or two to look up.) The advantage of the section header classification by shape is that it handles any difference in pronunciation among different dialects in China. It also allows the classification to be inclusive of any language that uses kanji, because it relates the form to the meaning. The cultural atmosphere of Qing Dynasty scholarly work was that of empiricism. The exposition of each kanji in the Kangxi Zidian included citations from classical studies. Typeface for printing The typeface known as BJ!^ mincho style in modern printing came from the styles that were used in the Kangxi Zidian. It has the following characteristics: a) Vertical lines are thicker than horizontal lines; b) The four corners of an imaginary square for each kanji are fully utilized; c) A horizontal line ends with a triangle-like shape. Those characteristics allow a large number of kanji in a limited space, yet each remains legible. In modern printing, the mincho style is used in the majority of printed materials, such as newspapers, books, and computer software. The 184 Dictionary Section Headers in This Book For the 184 section headers that appear in the 1100 kanji in this book, please see The 184 Section Headers in The Key to Kanji. CHAPTER 3 Development of Japanese Writing Systems UX OF KANJI TO JAPAN cts with Chinese Culture Contact with Kanji Via the Peninsula v-:orv of the Japanese writing system began with from Chinese culture over many centuries, earliest known official contact with China took in 57 a.d., when the Han Chinese emperor i Japanese king a gold seal. This small gold seal J in a farmer's field in northern Kyushu in the late eighteenth century. Chinese chron-reflect that Japan was one of the neighboring tries which regularly paid courtesy visits to the lese court bearing gifts. This seal is believed to live been given on one of those occasions. In the mid-sixth century, Buddhism was intro-:_;ed to Japan from China via the Korean penin-sda. Alongside that was the influx of kanji which ■*as aided by the presence of ex-patriots from the Korean peninsula, who also had learned Chinese trough their contacts with China. As the ruling classes of Japan became ardent believers of Buddhism and adopted it as the national religion, a number of Buddhist temples were built around the country and the priests became educated. In the tradition of Buddhism, the practice of transcribing the sutra (Buddhism scriptures) word by word was encouraged and the nobles started to write in the Chinese language. The words from these Chinese-written sutra began to seep into people's lives as Buddhism spread in Japan. The Cultural Envoys to China Recognizing that China had advanced culture, the Japanese court wanted to learn more about their advanced legal, political, economic, and writing systems. From the beginning of the seventh century, the Japanese court sent official envoys to the Chinese court, first to the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and then to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The members of the delegation also studied Chinese technology and culture, particularly the writing systems. A delegation had two to four hundred people in a fleet of three or four ships. These official visits lasted through the end of the ninth century, well after initial enthusiasm to THE KEY TO KANJI learn the new culture from China had died out. Books on political philosophy, law, technology, and literary works written in the Chinese language were brought back by those delegations. These books subsequently brought about permanent changes in the Japanese language in its sound systems and vocabulary and led to the creation of unique Japanese phonetic letters. All of this resulted in creating Japans own writing system as well as influencing the language itself. Two Kinds of Sounds Per Kanji— 0»-Reading and ÜT««-Reading When Japanese people read books that had been brought back from China, they learned this new writing system in a tri-fold way: (a) the writing forms, i.e., kanji; (b) the Chinese pronunciations within the inventory of Japanese syllable sounds; and (c) the meaning. First, people almost faithfully copied the kanji forms and did not make any change at all (a). Secondly the Chinese sound of kanji pronounced in the Japanese syllable structure (b) was learned and was called the Ion/ il" sound reading. Further, people learned to associate their existingjapanese word with the kanji of the same meaning and read it as pronounced in Japanese. This reading was called the Ikunl "interpretation; meaning" reading (c). The words that had existed before the influence of the Chinese language are called yamato-kotoba "the language of Yamato," Yamato being the old name of Japan. As more Chinese words were learned and more yamato-kotoba were assigned to the Chinese kanji the Japanese language ended up with two sets of sounds per kanji, one in the Chinese on-reading and one in the Japanese kun-reading. For example, when they learned the kanji Ä "see" along with the writing form, they learned to read this as I ken I in the on-reading by approximating the Chinese sound. In addition, they also learned to associate this kanji with their own word Imi-rul that meant "see" in the kun-reading. Multiple Chinese-Derived Sounds for Certain Kanji Taking in words from another language over many centuries creates discontinuities because a spoken language changes over time in pronunciation and vocabulary in the original language. This also happened to the Chinese language and the Japanese people. The dialect of Chinese language during Japans earlier contacts was different from that of the Chinese language spoken by the people of the Tang Dynasty, which was called kan-on "sound of the Han people," the language of the people in power in China at the time. Efforts were made to correct the older pronunciation so that it matched the kan-on. For example, a Chinese linguist was brought in by Japanese Emperor Jito (645-703) for this very reason. Later Emperor Kammu (737-806) designated the kan-on to be the "correct" reading and tried to eliminate the older sound, an earlier Chinese dialect called go-on. From that time on, the on-reading of kanji became that of kan-on and to this day the Japanese pronunciation of kanji is based on kan-on. At the same time, some of the older go-on readings also survived because some of the words had already taken root in the lives of Japanese people, particularly the words related to Buddhism and daily life. This resulted in two kinds of Chinese-derived on-readings for some kanji. Moreover, over time, other pronunciations from different regions were brought into the Japanese language. The distinction among those different on-readings is not something a Japanese speaker thinks about. Nonetheless, in the course of study of Japanese as a foreign language, a learner may be puzzled at the fact that it is not always the case that the on-reading he or she has learned can be applied to another word. Chapter 3 V9BBCK. look at the kanji fL, which means Immttu in yamato-kotoba, i.e., the kun-■ r-eople learned the translated koko-ae- .rimed to pronounce this as Ikul, "nine people," in the earlier dialect nesc go-on. Then, in the Heian period a Mmriation, Ikyuul', was brought back bma. such as in kyuu-nin "nine people," as the ."Ac pronunciation of Ikyuul was then made kbT pronunciation, thus adding anothet on-the Japanese vocabulary. Efe another example: the kanji ft "to go; to ant." The yamato-kotoba is i-ku, or the phonetic -*-ku. That is the kun-reading. The first Chi-i s.z introduced in go-on wasgyoo, as ingyooji r-ent" and ichi-gyoo —ft "one line." in go-on. reading was koo in kan-on, as in ikkoo •—ft ng group." The third reading, introduced r^iakura period (1192-1333) by the zen sects iism, was Ian I in words such as angya ffW ^Äerimage" and andon It© "lamp." Now we have r five) different readings for one kanji ft: I i-ku (oryu-ku)l for the kun-reading, and the on-reading sounds Ikool, Igyool, and lanl, depending on the word. For this reason it is very important to study kanji in the context of words. From the first contact with Chinese culture, the Japanese people eagerly took in what they lacked, including the writing system. When an oral language adopts the writing system of anothet unrelated language, one way to do so would be to adopt the writing system only and discard the words that come with it. The Japanese language did otherwise. They also adopted new words that came with the writing, with some adjustment in pronunciation, to create a totally new set of vocabulary directly from the Chinese language. In doing so, the Japanese language was enriched by doubling the vocabulary to exptess one thing in at least two ways. Nonetheless, although Chinese words were adopted into the Japanese language, thete was another movement in histoty to keep the Japanese language intact while still using the writing system of the Chinese language. DEVELOPMENT OF HIRAGANA & KATAKANA FROM KANJI SLin'yoO-gana (Matl'yOO Letters) have been found at the archaeological sites of seventh- The Phonetic Use of Kanji centuty through tenth-centuty Japan. A wooden tab- ■ 3uddhist practice the people made handwritten 1« found at an archaeological site in Osaka, written copies of Buddhist sutras written in Chinese. They with tne phonetic use of kanji, is said to be the oldest ilso started to write for themselves, mostly in the find, from 652 a.d., so far.1 A phonetic letter means a Chinese word order. For example, political and legal unit °f wriring that represents a sound only, without records were written in kanji in the Chinese word carrying a meaning. Alphabets are a good example of jrder. After awhile, a new use of kanji appeared. That phonetic letters. The phonetic use of kanji was a little was to use kanji for its phonetic value only, discard- more complicated, mg the meaning that was attached to it. Numerous-- 1 &.B$%.'{£.75&%fi%*Z.7]9fi is read as /barukusa no hajime no tosbil wooden tablets with those phonetically used kanji (Asahi Shimbun 2006). --0--- THE KEYTO KANJI For example, the kanji iS "late" was used for its Chinese sound /chi/ and "wave" was used for its Chinese sound /ha/. With these two kanji, the Japanese four-syllable yamato-kotoba word chichi-haha "father and mother; parents" was written as S h it ii M.M'J^.'/A.1 A modern Japanese reader, who instinctively associates the kanji with its literal meaning, would interpret this as "late-late-wave-wave" and treat it as nonsensical. However, at that time, the meaning of the kanji was generally discarded, and the kanji was used solely for its pronunciation. The choice of kanji for a particular syllable was not uniform, and many different kanji were used to indicate the same syllable. For example, the syllable /chi/ was written not only as i§, but also £o or -t" or all of which have the Chinese sound of /chi/. The use of kanji in Chinese language was called mana -Jt-t? "true name; true calling." This new phonetic use of a form is called kana "temporary name." The first Japanese chronicle, Kojiki in the early eighth century, was written with this phonetically used kanji. Kojiki was an orally transmitted epic by an oratory historian, and was written in the Japanese word order using both Chinese o»-sound words and Japanese yamato-kotoba. The phonetic use of kanji was also used in the compilation of the first comprehensive anthology of Japanese poetry, called Man'yooshuu rS Ä A "Anthology of Ten Thousand Leaves," in the mid-eighth century. Because the Man'yooshuu anthology became the foundation of Japanese poetry and literature, the phonetic use of kanji is called man'yoo-gana "phonetic letters of Man'yooshuu." The anthology not only has -There were some instances of semantic use, i.e., the use of kanji for its meaning. The word Ichicbihabal was also written as "father-mother" in Man'yooshuu (Sasaki (cd) 1954). the songs of the people at that time, but also included those created as early as the sixth century. Katakana The Tradition of Reading Classical Chinese In order to be able to import advanced culture from China, the aristocrats, intellectuals, and the Buddhist priests had to read books on political philosophies, technology, Buddhist doctrines, and other subjects, plus the great literary works written in classical Chinese. They were interested in reading rhe texts, often in the classical language, but had little interest in Chinese as a living, spoken language. What is written in classical Chinese is called kanbun >H^. They had to overcome the different grammatical structures such as word order, inflections of verbs and adjectives, and grammatical particles. The Chinese language does not have grammatical inflections or particles. To fill in what was missing, Japanese readers wrote some notes on the side of the texts. Sometimes the pronunciation in the Chinese on-reading or Japanese kun-reading was also added on the side as well. Writing notes between the lines in a limited space necessitated devising a way to write in a less complex form and with only a small part of the kanji. These abbreviated phonetic letters were called katakana "piece-like temporary name" because only a part of a kanji was used. For instance, for the syllable /a/, the left half of the kanji ffl was taken away and a katakana phonetic letter T was created. For the syllable hi, the right side of the kanji >X was taken away to make a katakana phonetic letter -f. Katakana enabled a Japanese reader to read kanbun as if it was written in Japanese. Table 1 The Development of Katakana from Kanji shows how the currently used 46 basic katakana were developed from kanji. Chapter 3 wiifflr!!:....... r Development of Katakana from Kanji J" =5" taken Katakana T X !« * * U * * * * =7 It +>■ *> m -t - f »* V Roma-I Original kanji Pieces taken Katakana 16 ta 17 chi/ ti 18 tsu/ tu 19 te f" 20 to h 21 na * 22 ni — — 23 nu 21 ne * 25 no / 26 ha /V 27 hi h 28 fu/ hu ~s~ 7 29 he r 30 ho * Roma-ji Original kanji Pieces taken Kata-kana 31 ma 32 mi 33 mu 34 me / 35 mo 4, 36 ya in hiragana. The five-stroke kanji KA was written as tyK in a grass style and was further coalesced into two curved lines V/ ^ in hiragana. Since multiple kanji were used for the same phonetic letter in man'yoo-gana, earlier times saw hiragana that came from different kanji as well, and it was some time before hiragana became standardized to correlate with one form per syllable. By creating hiragana, the Japanese language came to have kanji and two sets of phonetic writing systems. The two phonetic letters differ in how they were formed. Katakana was made from a part of kanji and retains the angular characteristics of kanji whereas hiragana was made out of a whole kanji written in a cursive style with rounder characteristics. Table 2 The Development of Hiragana shows how the currently used 46 basic hiragana on the hiragana syllable chart came about from the kanji. (Other old hiragana such as <&/(w)i/ and &/(w)e/ are not shown.) Hiragana gave writers of the Japanese language a freedom to write sentences as spoken in Japanese grammar. Writing in classical Chinese was still considered to be superior, and men of positions and culture were expected to write in kanji. Poetry and chronicles were also written in the classical Chinese style. Hiragana was viewed to be sufficient for private letters and for use by women. In this cultural tradition, a number of great literary works were produced by women authors using hiragana from this period. These include the oldest novel, Tale of Genji, written by Lady Murasaki (Murasaki Shikibu), The Pillow Book Essay by her contemporary Lady Sei (Sei Shonagon), and other novels and essays. Also, travel chronicles were written by women who served in the imperial courts of the Heian period. The abundance of literary works by Heian court women and a number of anthologies of Heian period poetry using hiragana attests to how it was able to free up the literary creativity in these authors. Chapter 3 : Tl)e Development of Hiragana - — : * an)! Grass-style to Hiragana % % h Hiragana in Print A t,i M% v. * : u * * € 0 fro £v & t ka - ki I ku < < * ke It U ko b I z sa ft-? : shi/si i 1 l L L su "t - se so f •a ta * 7r f; n chi/ti £ X. £ H tSll/tU \V> 19. te tt1 T T 20 tO £ £ i* 21 na 4: % £ * * 22 ni *i 23 nu -JBL 24. Romaji ne Kanji m Grass-style to Hiragana if- H> Mi Hiragana in Print fa*} 25 no 2> <7S O (7) CO 26 ha «. & Wt fr* '* » 27. hi ^ £l 28 hu/fu J- J~ 29 he 30 ho 31 ma a- i J $ * 32 mi 33 mu K c-c? * Vt> Vt> 38. yo Jl JL i 39. ra *. & £ 4 h h 40 ri *) * *) \) V) 41 ru «8 % 42 re ft iH if i 43 ro X * 44 wa ■in* Jhic> 45 wo it I- 46 n/N Calligraphy by Masae Masuda THE KEY TO KANJI Wakan-Konkoobun—Present-Day Style The Merged-Style of Japanese and Chinese Each of the two sets of phonetic letters, hiragana and katakana, contributed to create the way in which we write the Japanese language today. Katakana enabled Japanese readers to translate classical Chinese into Japanese by adding the missing pieces, such as grammatical particles and predicate inflections, while preserving Japanese word order. Kango "Chinese words" (often a kanji compound) was preserved in the Japanese language without being broken down to follow Japanese grammar, and they were used primarily as nouns or nouns that convert into verbs. Sometimes katakana was written in the main texts between the kango, which helped readers understand the contents better. Hiragana enabled the Japanese writers to write in Japanese using the yamato-kotoba freely. When the two styles combined, a new style emerged. This is called wakan konkoobun faSt/m/fiÄ "Japanese-Chinese Merged Writing." In wakan konkoobun, a Japanese sentence written in hiragana is punctuated by frequent use of kango within, giving it a masculine rhythmic sound. Compared to yamato-kotoba, which may consist of several mono-syllables, a Chinese syllable is almost invariably pronounced in two Japanese syllables. As a result Chinese compounds of two or four kanji give a more regular rhythm to the Japanese language. This characteristic was skillfully used in war chronicles, such as The Tale of Heike, and Hojoki, an essay on hermit life, which had an under- tone of the impermanency or transiency of life, as taught in Buddhism. Since the initial contact with Chinese language and throughout a few centuries after that, peoples struggles to try to find a way to write Japanese using the writing system of another language finally found an answer. The new writing style they found was directly derived from a merger of the Japanese language and Chinese characters and vocabulary. It became the standard of the present-day writing system of the Japanese. The remnants of the historical development of the three writing systems are very much evident in present-day writing in such terms as okuri-gana "kana after kanji" and furigana "kana for phonetic guide." Okuri-gana is hiragana that you put after kanji to show grammatical conjugations. It is a device to fill in the difference between the two grammars of Chinese and Japanese. For important grammatical particles, such as a subject, object, direction, and topic, using hiragana in a different way allows particles to stand out more within a sentence. We also benefit from furigana. Furigana is a handy phonetic guide that is placed generally in hiragana by the side or on top of a difficult kanji. Katakana is primarily used for foreign loan words in written text. More recently, katakana has gained the use of being an eye-catching device in advertisements and print media. It is certainly true that the Japanese have figured out a comprehensive system in retaining the best of both spoken Japanese and written Chinese. The 184 Dictionary Section Headers in The Key to Kanji M die 184 dictionary section headers that appear in the 1100 kanji in The Key to Kanji, as well . • tinji used in Japan. Because these are recurring components that make up a majority of kanji, - -. effective way to increase your kanji knowledge. - ■ -- .~e184 types of currently used section headers are arranged according to the number of strokes. . ept for a small number of them, are listed for reference purposes. - ■< s 3 A brief explanation of a section header's origin. mmm- btiry kanji: Kanji that are conventionally classified as a member of that particular section header. - «j Kanji that are listed elsewhere but contain the same component. ENGLISH MEANING DICTIONARY RELATED ENTRY KANJI KANJI 1-STROKE SECTION HEADERS A single sideways stroke signifying 'one,' 'horizontal line,' 'ground level,' etc. fzXlli A single vertical line in the middle. + g XL A short diagonal dot, signifying a flame on a lit holder. tibi Hin A longer diagonal stroke was a part of a person. A* Something bent or to stroke down something to straighten it. I IttUfi This stroke goes straight down and has a hook to the left. It has no particular meaning. ^* 2-STROKE SECTION HEADERS k CZZ-S Two sideways strokes signifying 'two.' -Si oo 1- The pot lid-like shape was merely used for a classification and had no particular meaning of its own. 1 Q A standing man viewed from the side, which was the rtt etymology of a kanji A, pertaining to a person or an act cJ that he does. Aftt-fAftffcttft« «* A cover over goods or a person. Due to its similarity to kanji A, this is traditionally placed in the section header 'person' (#9 A). IC/^tCJfS or Q-j A person with an emphasis on his legs, signifying a Jr%> person standing or in motion. THE KEYTO KANJI 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 X "J^f" A movement to enter a structure. X /\ JI a) A motion to divide a space into two, signifying >' 'to divide.'b) When used at the bottom, it often indicated two hands held upward. ft® n it\ |/\| An outline of a structure or a square shape. IA#l°li^H *-* The shape was used merely for a classification and had no particular meaning of its own. ■i ^cH^ Cracks in ice, signifying something icy cold. n -5 A table. Due to similarity, was placed in the same categotyhere. u l}*X/ICjf5 or An open box inside of which something is placed. fig 7] 1 A swotd or knife, which signified an act of cutting U something. 'J 11 A sword or knife, which signified an act of cutting some-U thing. This form is used on the right side of kanji only. w\m>\m\m\ ij Physical strength, strenuous work, or power. Two different ancient forms are: a) a strong hand with _/ muscles showing; and b) a plow used in fields for '// strenuous farming work. »»»»»» 1 * Two different origins for this shape are: a) a hand — // ^=5< wrapping around something, signifying 'to wtap; to surround'; b) bending one's body low to show humility. b A person sitting viewed from the side. It signifies a ^3 "sitting person." it mt c E oriiZ^iX The two different shapes that signified "a place to hide" are in the category of present-day classification. EE + ^ Ten sticks bundled up, signifying 'ten' ot 'full.' mm. F Ck A petson bending over, signifying a show of humility or K=i listening to an order. r A cliff, under which there was a fountain, rock, fire, etc. mm A 1 [jJ*) Jfe "^1's shape is a reduced form from various shapes M ^ such as a worm, a plow, or simply used to replace a complicated component. *# tt: ^\ One of several shapes that depicted a right hand and is ^v" used for an act involving a hand. mmMM S7 A hand from above or a person bending over something. Section Headers 3-STROKE SECTION HEADERS _- _ There are a number of sources for this small ' C^lMX SqUare, among which are: a) an open mouth, signifying "to speak" or "to eat"; b) an object or box; c) a hole or window in a wall. / j An oblong shape that encircles another component, signifying an encampment of something. ess a annum as (' A pile of dirt neatly packed in a triangular shape with an —^- emphasis stroke. The practice of soil formed in a triangular shape is still seen in ground-breaking ceremonies in Japan. mun ssTfe= An ax or weapon carried by a warrior placed upside CSs down in a ceremony, signifying a warrior or male person. ^mm A footprint facing backward, signifying moving "*° backwards or retreating. "Tn. /^\ Having one stroke in the middle as contrasted to d-^ two strokes in a moon E, it depicted a dim moon in the early hours of evening, which signified "early evening." It is also used to indicate a piece of meat or flesh. A person stretching his arms and legs to make himself big, i*A signifying "large; big; grand." It is also used for "person." r- *_ v' fi) A woman sitting with her hands crossed in front of het, a graceful postute. It is used in many kanji that pertains to a woman. mm : A baby with wiggling arms is used to indicate a child or (/ offspring. ^sAj. A house with a roof and walls came to signify "house" j—l or "something under a roof." ** ■fx ^\ Finger pointing at the wrist whete one's pulse was taken. fy?i \ The distance between the hand and that point is an inch so the kanji signified "a little." | A piece of wood being chipped away into smaller pieces, 1 % signifying smallness. ........... t f\ An unclear origin. Among the views ate a bent atm 'f*' that signified an act of beckoning or a dog. tt p> Qj^> a) A person in a slumped position; and b) a toof. ill Running watet ot liquid, used on the left side of a kanji. A dog, or an animal in general. When used on the left side, > section header has been classified as having six strokes (from W) or four strokes from ^. * ^ A foot going beyond a crossroad, signifying moving /TO forward. The older form %_ (7 strokes) is reduced to O i__Another form i_ was also used in some kanji until recently. p a titXZ (on right side) 1 i When used on the right side of a kanji, it signified a village. The current form comes from the old form &, ' which indicated land and people. F# (on left side) C) When used on the left side, it signified a boundary or higher area. Its old form was which indicated a pile of dirt, or an earthen wall. ^mmmmmm mrsmmm 65 66 67 68 69 70 0 Section Headers 4-STROKE SECTION HEADERS zz?> •yt(f\ An anatomical shape of a heart with chambers. <^ was (SCJ used at the bottom of a kanji whereas 1 was used on the left side of a kanji. & & M /S ,S/S 1h jS- (^5 A halberd, used in kanji that pertains to war or threatening A situations. jjg A door. li X One of several shapes of a hand (a right hand). LUjLTor A hand holding a twig, signifying holding something writing. ft An ax, signifying something to cut. &mtfi ^jj" A plow with a long handle or a flag pole for a clan. nm®. s A sun, signifying a "light" and "brightness or warmth" ' i " created by the sun. B yJT This group has little in common. They were chosen for v=S/ its shape. S depicted a sound coming out of a mouth, signifying to say. * n ^ ^ ctescent moon; b) a boat. n n /fh A piece of meat or flesh that shows tendons, signifying a part of the body. When used in this meaning, H is generally placed on the left side or at the bottom. * ^2} A standing tree with the roots firmly in the ground, ~*r signifying a ttee or a product of a tree. ttMMt MM* Q A man yawning with his mouth open wide, signifying a « lack of air or inhaling. it ■r^ A footprint of a left foot with a big toe having a more O prominent shape. ft f J~j £*\ A decapitated head with hair attached that occurred in a a war. It also signified a dead body. ?im IJC-5 Section Headers ~ An altar table or religious activity. This is used when the ^-Tk meaning of "altar table" is used at the bottom of kanji, whereas % (#102) is used when it is on the left side. %m A nee or grain plant. The name comes from the hard awn of a barley plant called nogi in Japanese. **']*>** — ^ _ . i^j^f A house and a motion of dividing something or digging, • - signifying "a hole." •„ A standing person. §S^ff> a) A depiction of a casting W had its form reduced nn; b" A watchful eye § placed sideways in some kanji. A clothing collar. When used on the left side, it is /l\V» written as ^. Please see #94 'K. 6-STROKE SECTION HEADERS Two stalks of bamboo with narrow pointed leaves that ' ' hang downward. Bamboo was useful material in living, craft, writing, and building. «\o Rice grain scattered in all directions, signifying grains in '1* general. mm • ft c-^L ft ® Thin silk filaments being pulled out of silkworm ® cocoons or a skein of threads, used to pertain to a line that connects things, or continuity. I 9 z*. V^j^ Two wings of a bird. ess m @|rS A sheep was valued for its versatility, warm wool, tasty W food (lamb and mutton), and its beautiful appearance, and is used to signify something desirable. if- A plow and rows of plowed soil. Only one kanji is W currently used. m nt An ear, signifying to listen. X j A nose, the center of one's face, embodying a person. It signified oneself. £ A* 83 An arrow hitting the ground, signifying to come to an end. ass S rt A mortar. 1? A tongue. A boat. R fc-*<'J *ft A ^ a) ^n eye looking backwards; b) a basket and K <« (jS) A bowl which is filled with animal blood for religious rites, <5 signifying blood. 138 ft JL A crossroad, signifying going beyond a crossroad. It is also ~I r used for one's conduct. ftffiffiffi 139 £4« j^^^ A clothing collar, signifying clothes in general. 140 B n l=l «5» a) A woman's hips with both hands placed on her jllf p*^J waist. The waist is in the center of one's body, thus it signified "essential"; b) A basket. B* 7-STROKE SECTION HEADERS 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 44 An eye with legs or to look at. a S IX d An eye viewed sideways or a subject who kept a watchful H eye. &m n ^ A pointed horn. 5 ^ A needle with a handle for tattooing (for religious JL ceremony, punishment of criminals, etc.) and a mouth. Together they signified "to speak clearly and sharply." tiE 6T^ 5^ p^, 5^F 5i£ 5K^ &C M In" t& W: 1^.1^ lH 3^ 5% a A Mountain ranges and an opening in between, ' \ signifying valley. S A raised bowl to offet food and drinks in religious rites. S* /\ A wild boat of a pig. It also encompasses an elephant or other animals. Jt /$\ fl^fl a) A beautiful rare cowry shell from the southern sea vjc/ \nrV used for money; b) A pot that was used for cooking sacrificial animals in religious rites. ******** tffJt S'lil'lflfflM A valiant of j\. 'large' and a variant of lK 'fire,' signifying 53l the color of burning fite, of 'red.' rfr A running man and a footprint, signifying a man running or an act that pertains to the use of feet. ft ftl Jj£ A knee cap and a footprint, indicating a foot or a leg. A pX A pregnant woman viewed sideways. The kanji that 4sf contains this pertains to a physical feature. # * fjfife*^ A chariot used in a battle with two wheels. The current foim depicted a platform with two wheels connected at an axel. \I/ A tattooing needle which had an ink reservoir and a handle. ft A clam with a feeler extended. Clam shells were used as ^? tools for weeding in the field. It pertains to agriculture, or is used for its sound. * * B ^ A large wine vase. s |j5j Rice paddies and a pile of dirt. An area of land where field £l work takes place signifies a hamlet. Stffft ***** <5> Section Headers The old form had a wheat plant on the top and a backward foot underneath, signifying a plant heavy with grains and drooping over. It means "wheat plant." Please see #68 i_. Please see #69 I3 • S. A mine in which pieces of metal glisten in the ground. The kanji containing this generally pertains to a mineral or a metal object. mm ♦ A long-haired old man, signifying old age or chief. mm §§§i Closed double doors hiding things from plain sight or i 8 keeping others out, or a gate. rmrmmm mm Y^V A bird, which has feathers, an ability to take off, or may TrV get caught by man. ft*ftft %m (225 Rain drops falling from the heavens, signifying rain or other atmospheric phenomenon. * Leaves above ground and a well, signifying fresh, blue. '«§» ft**"* Two wings of a bird on opposite sides, signifying "not" 11 or negation. # ^ Some food in a dish with a cover, signifying to eat; food. " When used on the left, contains one stroke fewer than the kanji "it. - * Please see #70 P — |gj An enwrapped face, signifying mask or face. A An animal hide with a head still attached, signifying w stretched hide. A tattoo needle and a mouth with something inside, signifying a word that is not clear, that is sound. I 'S A person with a formal headdress, signifying a head or IP* something at the top. mm A sail that catches the wind and an imaginary sacred animal such as a dragon or a phoenix bird inside, that was believed to control wind. P/\ A bird flying with its wings spread, signifying to fly. The % kanji fll means "to fly." m -it ut< ^ Some food in a dish with a cover, signifying to eat; food. ** * 184 THE KEYTO KANJI 10STROKE SECTION HEADERS 1 175 t% A horse with a mane and four legs emphasized. O 176 t ^ Bone joints and a piece of meat or animal flesh 3, 'v signifying bones that were covered by flesh. * 177 # A tall watch tower. * 178 i A stooping elderly person and his long flowing hair 0) ^ emphasized, signifying "hair." * 179 $ O A flaming arrow whose bright yellow light illuminated all * directions. * 180 A fish with a head, scaled body, and fins. am 181 M. 1 <■$ P A grill with soot over a fire, signifying black. m M. 182 A A bird. 12-STROKE SECTION HEADER 183 EH The top, 'footprint (to stay in one place)' and the bottom, ^§§> 'two rows of teeth in a mouth,' togethet signifying tooth. r 14-STROKE SECTION H EADER Jj A nose and a present on a table signified something Ipt noticeable, which is a nose. * llOOKanß ÜM-.N =EADINGS: HEADER thai a form that signified a "person ^ "heart" and "dragging feet" r^er they desctibed a state in which — in emotion and it was hatd to sLinji "$t means "love." »^e*? nickname Ä# emotional attachment $tffi "f h to use regularly 13 : VKUN READINGS: j HEADER: i ^ - 2* * Itr old form /B consisted of T" "smothering int," and ^ "meat or flesh" of j\. "dog -nich indicated sweet meat. After eating sweet Kkds full and a pressure in one's stomach, i "soil" be meaning of pushing down. The reduced current . —cans "to ptess" or "pressure." pressure z. .■- -merit pressure i rxood pressure tTF=WB P/BL&J oppressive IS.'fi to weigh on SIS'] ffg overwhelming ON-KUN READINGS: L7*-:?|--fr5M-fc(L3) HEADER ORIGIN: The top of the older form 15 had }5 "hollow in the ground," indicating something "suppressed." The bottom depicted an anatomical shape of a heatt, signifying "heart" or "feelings." Togethet they indicated "bad feelings that were suppressed" or simply "bad" or "evil." The kanji IS means "bad or ill." +35 ,8-11 bad »< ,1 evil ÄSfä abhorrence ft,H thewotst ill-intention ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER secure; peaceful; inexpensive; cheap ORIGIN: The combination of ^ "house" and ~&~ "woman" resting at home indicated "safety or at ease." Inexpensive things ate less stressful to buy; hence, another meaning was "inexpensive." The kanji "5C means "secure" or "peaceful" and also "inexpensive, cheap." $ ^v inexpensive, cheap Sih.1T $ rf' rfc» i~%> to feel relieved ^^tc anxious safe the key to kanji origin: This kanji consisted of b "sun" and h "a sharp needle and something inside a mouth." When people tty to speak with something in their mouths, theit words often come out garbled or "unclear." The two forms combine to indicate "sun not clearly seen," and thus the kanji means "datk; uncleat." b£i* dark bR&b light and darkness Bf/T> hint H£tE"f & to leatn by heart Bf-?- secret code; password s%BXT below, less than >Xl*J within | W)\ other than KAfti before thereafter i v p b/px 5 6 on-kun readings: plan; proposed idea I origin: On the top fi* "house" and "woman" indica "secute and peaceful," here used phonetically. The botto ^ "wood" indicated a "desk." One thinks of a plan at i desk. The kanji ^? means "proposed idea" or "plan." %. proposal 31 1*1 to show around 3?l*l?>f information desk £ contrary to what is expected ItS "f -5 to propose :£S brilliant idea rank; place; approximately origin: This kanji consisted of 4 a "standing person viewed sideways" and A. a "person standing, facing front." Together they indicated a place or approximate area where one stood, according to his tank, before a ruler or in a ceremony. The kanji iu. means "rank, place" or "approximately." 14 tank £*<7) 14 how much %—14 fitst place 14 Ä location JtM4 position £-14 everyone [honorific] UOOKanji ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER I 4 eft .- 1 was a "person." The right side - "■ raeing opposite one another, signify- ■n surccrions, here phonetically used to indicate ■fax' Someone who is different and stands out - —- rdinary quality is treated with respect. * "grand; illustrious." illustrious great work tf^^L tall well-built man 12 10 ( # enclosure; to surround ORIGIN: The old form ffi consisted of CI an "enclosed area" and J^., which depicted two feet facing in opposite directions, walking in a circle. Together they indicated to encircle or to surround. The inside is now reduced to $r (from -4"); the kanji H means "to surround" or "enclosure." LH & to surround rSK^H^tobe seized to trz fc'JHL'to encircle #Hft atmosphere JUS surrounding IE HI scope, sphere J HFlFIFlrfflffl 7 ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER: -f-KDAftfa*) ■k pliant The top ^ was a pictograph of a rice plant droop-er the weight of ripening grain. The bottom was posture of a woman. Being pliant and flexible gave ■racing of leaving a decision to others. The kanji 3c J| "to entrust" or "pliant." : ro entrust • committee uk proxy $M committee member #fcaa the details #ft"f ■?> to trust ON-KUN READINGS: ; HEADER: 4 71 h e3 ORIGIN: The top a "sound" signified a (nonverbal) sound because something inside a mouth prevented what was said from becoming a word. The bottom was an anatomical heatt, signifying feelings. Together they indicated thought and feelings that were kept inside one's heart. The kanji ^ intention," or "mind." means meaning meaning M opinion ;8?M~ unexpectedly 3.3R attention, heed & 11*71: intentionally aaa* popular sentiment, the will of the people 13 THE KEYTO KANJI ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER: a ORIGIN: The ancient form was a pictograph of a lizard with a big head and rays of the sun ). A lizard can change the color of its skin instantly. One's future also changes constantly, and it is also used for fortune telling. The kanji J? means "easy," "to change," or "fortune telling." % Lv1 easy «*> trade ft' m S1 ' easy to write fortune teller t1 j? plain 'V-l? unchanged I n h b ^ ORIGIN: The top EH was a mask of a god in a votive dance or play. The bottom ^\ depicted two hands holding up the mask. By putting a mask on, one becomes a different pet-son, or a character in a play. The kanji -H- means "different; to differ." ct j 3*31' ■S-'i'^/c different U-S-W amazing k>5< j i.>Lj< HBO foreign country novel ■Rfm objection, different view w w ■ 4 ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER to do; deed; purpose; sake j ORIGIN: In the old form the top was a "hand from above" 1 and the bottom was an "elephant," which indicated "to 1 handle an elephant by hand." Elephant was dropped from 1 the meaning, and the form came to mean "to handle; to do 1 something" or "deed." The kanji means "to do," "deed," 1 "sake" or "purpose." Xn&r.forX, because ofX u/u't^ artificial c-ji.' 'tf %i deed, behavior exchange ruler, political leaders 1 ON-KUN READINGS: j HEADER: © to transfer; to move ORIGIN: The left side ^ was a rice plant drooping under the weight of the grain. The right side ^ was two pieces of meat, suggesting "many," but here was used phonetically to mean "to move." Together the two forms indicated the swaying action of rice plants blown in wind. The kanji means "to move; to transfer." -to move fflV] moving VTA. moving, relocation & to migrate, to relocate \,'*/t, ffi R. immigrant transition 1100 Kanji The top 53 depicted pieces of food in stomach, and :om ^ depicted flesh of a body. ^ is also used in a Dt kanji that pertain to body patts. The kanji W i "stomach." 1 — e stomach and tines IBS stomach W^S stomach cancer Wi& gastritis fstWffl peptic i»1 ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER: ■i differ; wrong CCS ORIGIN: The uppet fight consisted of two feet facing in Ac opposite difection away from an area, D, indicating "to move away." The lower left 3— came from a foot in the cross- 1 Bad, indicating "to move fotward." Together they signified "going in the opposite direction" (thus "being different; wrong"). The kanji lS means "to differ" or "wrong." Ef -•X^ different diffetence i4 i 1 miss each the toad othet on parking violation Hi4^T^ is wrong it#cfS sense of incompatibility ' * ■** * * « # 18 ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER clothes ORIGIN: The ancient fofm depicted the collar and front por-tion of clothes, indicating clothes in general. The kanji -^L means "clothes." When it is used as a recurring component, it is written ^, as in ?Jl "duplicate" and -fl "to complement." u*a.< SSS. clothes HLj3 costume SM S tobe, coating, batter Sit food and clothes Z6htr _ S!£ X. change clothes fot lg£6t -I^S tobe of feathets; the season celestial robe " 6 ON-KUN READINGS: HEADER to leave; to bequeath for *. *; ORIGIN: The right top jff had two hands holding something ptecious and "cowry" that was used as currency, indicating "valuables." The old form %_ of 3—, was "foot inside a crossroad," which signified "moving forward." Together they indicated something precious that one left aftet he or she had moved on. The kanji means "to leave, bequeath." historical site iSs" will 1>J< itflf posthumous work wt < J4$j the beteaved family wtitten wdl i4