Lesson 3 Component 口 mouth

Lesson 3 Component 口 mouth

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口 mouth (口字旁 kǒuzìpáng)

0598kou3 mouth

PINYIN[kǒu]

TRANSLATIONmouth; open end; entrance, gate

FORMATION象形,张开的嘴

COINAGEPictograph, Open mouth

【造字理据】

pictograph0115

《说文解字》:“人所以言食也。象形。”[按]象人的口之形狀,也代表一切“口儿”。

“口”字本義為人的口腔器官,即嘴,是一個象形字。在甲骨文中,“口”字的字形就像人的嘴巴,金文也是如此。而在小篆文中,字形变得有些长,在隶书和楷书中,又演变为方形。“口”字的本义一直沿用至今,它还可用作量词,如“一口井”。此外,現在人们将一个人的语言表达能力称为“口才”,如“演说家大都是口才极好的人”。

以口作义符的字有:可、叮、葉、古、叭、叴、叱、呈、呱、噓、器、嚥、嗑等。

以口作声符的字有:句、扣、叩、周。

MOTIVATIONThis is usually found on the left side; when it is at the bottom or in combination, as 合, 启 or 咸, the character is probably an original one; it is employed to indicate that the character is used phonetically, as 咖啡 for coffee, and many words under it in Kanghi's Dictionary are of this kind; voice, names, actions of the mouth, &c. are the general meanings; many are onomatopoetic.

The character for mouth was originally a pictograph of an open mouth;  broadening into a smile;  and eventually stiffening;  and contracting to square: 口. 口 also means an opening. Wise old sayings always caution one about those with a big mouth.

The Component 口 often appears in the left part of a character and, less frequently, in the top or bottom part. 口 is one of the most common Component in Chinese, and the characters with 口 are usually related to the actions of the mouth.

【例字 Examples】

向[xiàng] toward, direction, trend

象形。从宀( mián),从口。“宀”表示房屋,甲骨文中像屋墙,有窗户之形。本义:朝北开的窗户。

告[gào] tell, announce, inform; accuse

会意。甲骨文字形,上面的“牛”,牛触人,角著橫木,所以告人也。从口,从牛。本义:报告,上报。

古[gǔ] old, classic, ancient

会意。从十,从口。本义:古代。一般分为太古、上古、中古、近古。

可[kě] may, can, -able; possibly

会意。从口,从丂(供神之架),表示在神前歌唱。“可”似为“歌”字的古文。①本义:唱②引申义:许可。

肙[yuān] a small worm; to twist; to surround; empty

“绢”的省略,表示丝品柔曼、细腻。另解:肙上半部分的“口”实为“甘”——>“日”——>“口”,表示肙的下半部分“月”(肉)味美。后借指美好事物、女子,如:涓、娟、绢等。

 

吃 喝 吸 叫 吹 唱 吵 哭 喊 啊 叶 兄 句 加 另 吐 名


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