0

Any easy way or background why Well + knife is Punishment? Knife is related punishment, but after killing with knife any history to through them in the well?

wikitionary details about 刑:

Originally written as 㓝, phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ɡeːŋ): phonetic 井 (OC *skeŋʔ) + semantic 刂. Later corrupted as ⿰幵刂, phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ɡeːŋ): phonetic 幵 (OC *kŋeːn) + semantic 刂.

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    井 is phonetic, so it hints at the sound of 刑. Well doesn't have anything to do with the character.
    – dROOOze
    Apr 2, 2021 at 9:01
  • So xing sound comes from jing. So only phonetic portion from. Thanks
    – user27485
    Apr 2, 2021 at 9:41

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

The phonetic component doesn't always contribute any meaning to the character meaning most of the time. Mother 妈 definitely has nothing to do with a horse!

If you want a sort of mnemonic to remember the meaning you can think of 井 looking like a frame of a pillory (those wooden boards with holes to hold a prisoner's head and hands). Those objects usually humiliates the prisoners as a form of punishment.

Improve this answer
1

刑 根据说文解字，刑的左边在古代还真是个"井"，

井，法也。

注意此处的"井"并不是水井（well），而是"整齐、有秩序" 井

  1. 整齐，有秩序：～然。～～有条。

再查井的说文解字，会发现有

(丼)八家爲一丼

可能是古代比较早期的一种管理制度，看着像九宫格，中间空地不住人，看起来整整齐齐的样子。

enter image description here

Improve this answer
3
  • I am pasting translation. Actually what shù Owen mentioned in his book?” Xing According to Shuowen Jiezi, the left side of Xing was really a "well" in ancient times. Well, law also. Note that the "well" here is not a well, but a "tidy and orderly" well Neat and orderly: ~ Ran. ~ ~ There is an article. Check Jing's Shuo Wen Jie Zi again, you will find that there are (Don) Eight houses are one don It may be an earlier management system in ancient times. It looked like a nine-square grid, with no people living in the open space in the middle, and it looked neat and tidy.
    – user27485
    Apr 2, 2021 at 13:06
  • 丼 is 井, and is pronounced , of course, as jing. Don is Japanese pronunciation, not Chinese pronunciation.
    – joehua
    Apr 3, 2021 at 2:20
  • "八家為一丼" is called 井田制度. It's a famous system used in Zhou dynasty. A piece of square land is divided into 9 blocks. Eight families farm the nine blocks. The harvest from the peripheral eight blocks, which are called 私田, belongs to the individual family who farm it. The harvest from the center block, which is called 公田, belongs to the aristocrat who owns the land. Ancient Chinese were so smart. They ended up concentrating on their 私田 and paid little attention to 公田. This eventually lead to the demise of the system.
    – joehua
    Apr 3, 2021 at 2:21

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.