In Mandarin Chinese, 甲 (Pinyin: jiǎ 🔊) is a noun that means “armour”, “shell”, or “nail”. It is also the first of ten celestial stems and, by extension, means “first”.
Uncle Hanzi says that 甲 is a “pictograph of natural crack joints in the underside of a turtle-shell”. On the other hand, Lawrence J. Howell writes in his Etymological Dictionary of Han/Chinese Characters:
Originally, a depiction of objects being pressed down, suggesting “press down on objects in containing them” → armor; helmet; shell. From the bronzeware inscription style onward, however, the character becomes a depiction of a hard, seed-bearing husk. First in a series and first calendar sign are borrowed meanings.
Compounds of 甲 include
- 龟 + 甲 = 龟甲 (guījiǎ): tortoise shell
- 甲 + 虫 = 甲虫 (jiǎchóng 🔊): beetle
- 甲 + 基 = 甲基 (jiǎjī): (chemistry) methyl group
- 马 + 甲 = 马甲 (mǎjiǎ): corset; camouflage; online pseudonym
More photos related to shells @ Shutterstock.
No comments:
Post a Comment