判 Has the phonetic component 半, but why the semantic component knife?

刊 has the phonetic component 干, but why the semantic component knife?

剛 has the phonetic part 岡, but why the semantic component knife?

I've seen more of these. With 雨 (rain) it often seems to indicate it has to do
with weather, with 貝 (shell) it indicates it has to do with money, so does ⺉/刀
also have such an overarching thing that isnt literally cutting, or is it one
of those cases where it's different shit per character or the character just
went through simplifications?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-27T12:47:10.940
64594
2018-12-30T21:05:01.740
2018-12-30T21:05:01.740
26510
question
kanji etymology radicals
What semantic role does ⺉/刀(sword/cut) tend to have in Kanji?
For this, you'll have to look at the original meaning of the those three
characters to see their relation with 刀.

  * [判 originally meant](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/kangxi/pic.php?f=ziyuanlxq&p=376) to divide up, presumably with a knife.
  * [刊 originally meant](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/kangxi/pic.php?f=ziyuanlxq&p=376) to use a knife to cut off the outer skin
  * [The definition of 剛 was originally](http://www.zdic.net/z/16/kx/521A.htm) 彊斷也。从刀，岡聲, meaning strong. According to [林义光](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/kangxi/pic.php?f=dzd&p=377), this can be explained as using a knife to cut a net/web. This meaning seems to not have changed too much.

As is typical with Chinese characters, their meanings change over time. Often,
they become more generalized or applied to similar situations. 刊 for example
from the meaning of cutting off the outer skin became applied to carving, and
from carving onto typesetting/printing (think carving printing blocks!).
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-27T22:22:46.280
64601
2018-12-27T22:22:46.280
10045
64594
answer
* 「判」originally meant to _split something into two [halves]_ , extended to mean _to distinguish (between different things) > evaluate, judge, criticise_.「半」( _half_ ) is both a semantic and phonetic component.
  * 「刊」originally meant _to chop_ (e.g. a tree), then extended to mean _carve > publish_.
  * 「剛」means _unyielding, strong, sturdy_.「⺉・刀」is a reference to a meaning like _powerful > unyielding_.

The most common semantic contribution of「⺉・刀」was originally to do with actions
with a sharp tool. Semantic extension obscures this contribution slightly.

> Some other examples:
>
>   * In「到」,「⺉」is only a phonetic component.
>   * 「絕」( _Shinjitai_ :「絶」), means to _cut off_ or _extinguish_ , and
> originally referred to the cutting「刀」of silk threads「糸」.「刀」is found on the
> top-right hand side.
>   * In「斷」( _Shinjitai_ :「断」),「㡭」is a variant of「絕」, also containing silk
> threads (abbreviated, 4「幺」).「刀」is the remaining part of「㡭」after 4「幺」is
> removed; to see this, rotate「刀」90 degrees clockwise and flip it
> horizontally.
>   * 「則」（ _rules, regulations_ ) originally referred to _pattern inscription
> (using a tool_ 「刀」 _) on bronzeware (_ 「鼎」 _, now abbreviated into_ 「貝」 _)_.
>     * Referring back to the notes in the question,「貝」does not always have
> something to do with _money_ ; among other things, it is sometimes an
> abbreviation of「鼎」. Also,「貝」has nothing to do with「頁」.
>

* * *

**References:**

  * 季旭昇《說文新證》
  * 《王力古{{kr:漢}}語字典》
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-30T21:04:42.150
64653
2018-12-30T21:04:42.150
26510
64594
answer