62404
the kanji 隣 tonari, it is formed by:  
- the radical ⻖ : こざとへん hill, mounds;  
- the radical 舛 : まいあし contrary, to err;  
- the kanji 米 : ベイ rice.

Knowing such components, if it is possible, how can I conclude that that kanji
means _neighbor_? What is the reasoning to follow? Many Thanks.
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question
kanji etymology
How to arrive to the meaning of the kanji tonari 隣 through its components?
Etymologically, none. Because it is a phono-semantic compound in Chinese,
where the semantic element 阝 “city, town” is added over a phonetic 粦 [rins] to
produce the meaning “something connected to the city pronounced almost like
[rins]” (actually [rin]; in modern Mandarin lín and also lín, in Japanese both
are りん).

As for an association to jelp remember the kanji, just imagine a rice feast
and dance (treat 舛 as the lower part of 舞, to dance) party behind the sturdy 阝
wall of your neighbour :D .
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answer
「隣」was originally an administrative unit of a group of households in ancient
China, relating to the size of villages/towns/cities. This definition was
extended to mean _neighbour_. The orthodox structure「鄰」is comprised of
semantic「⻖/邑」( _town, city_ ) and phonetic「[粦]{りん}」.

# `  
[篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XVWp5.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XVWp5.png)  
[說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)  
``[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty)  
[簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WD9oh.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WD9oh.png)  
[睡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)・[日乙](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/QinwenziReference)21  
``[東{{ko:漢}}](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han)  
[隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rmVc4.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rmVc4.png)  
繁陽令楊君  
``現代  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/E9vsJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/E9vsJ.png)  
  
`

This structure is important for the explanation, as「⻖」is the おおざと component on
the right rather than the こざと component「阜」on the left.

> 「阜」depicts a _row of hill mounds_ , used in characters to do with _hills_ or
> _arrays_ , e.g.
>
>   * 「陰/陽」, _north/south side of a hill_
>   * 「阪」, _slope_
>   * 「隊」, _team/group_ ("an array of people")
>   * 「陣」, _battle formation_ ("an array of war chariots"「車」)
>

In Japanese, the variant structure「隣」was chosen as the standard which
switched「⻖」to the left hand side, so you'll have to make an exception in this
occurrence of「⻖」.

「粦」only contributes to sound, not meaning, in this character. As far as I can
recall, the only character where「粦」contributes etymology (and hence meaning)
is「燐」( _phosphorus_ ).

> 「粦」was the original character of「燐」, which refers to the [will-o'-the-
> wisp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o%27-the-wisp)/ _ignus fatuus_
> ghost fire phenomenon, where green lights are seen around decomposing
> bodies. The modern meaning _phosphorus_ of「燐」is due to much of the decaying
> organic compounds containing this element.
>
> 「粦」was originally comprised of「大」(frontal view of an _adult_ > _big_ ),
> representing a decaying body, and additional small markings around it,
> indicating will-o'-the-wisp lights.
>
> # `[商](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty)  
> [甲](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script)  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hqZui.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hqZui.png)  
>
> [後](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)2.9.4  
> [合集261](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=261&jgwfl=)`
>
> Later on, _feet*_ 「舛」were added, and the body + dots were corrupted
> into「炎」and then further corrupted into「米」.
>
> # `[西周](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou)  
> [金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions)  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7TOmx.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7TOmx.png)  
> 尹姞鬲  
> [集成755](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=755&jgwfl=)``  
> 篆  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MFPex.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MFPex.png)  
> 說文解字  
>  ``現代  
> 楷  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Oif6r.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Oif6r.png)  
>  
>  `
>
> * * *
>
> *「舛 : まいあし」refers to the bottom component ([足]{あし}) of「[舞]{まい}」; the meaning
> _opposing > contrary_ is an extension of「舛」depicting a pair of (opposing
> shaped/left + right) _feet_.

* * *

**References:**

  * 王力《王力古{{ko:漢}}語字典》
  * 季旭昇《說文新證》
  * [小學堂](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
  * [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
  * [Chinese Linguipedia](http://chinese-linguipedia.org/search_source.html)
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answer