The kanji 買 （buy) contains the kanji 貝 （shellfish).

Is it because the origin of the kanji 買 lies in the process of buying
shellfish?

Does anyone know the story behind the kanji 買?

Thank you!
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-06T07:33:27.487
73379
2019-12-09T01:15:11.480
31549
question
kanji
The origin of the kanji 買
`[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/1ofaZ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1ofaZ.png)  
[佚](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)462  
[合集11436](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=11436&jgwfl=)``商  
[金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T4DDj.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T4DDj.png)  
買車卣  
[集成4874](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4874&jgwfl=)``[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/RvXUv.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RvXUv.png)  
秦律十八86  
[睡虎地秦簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)``今  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x4OZ7.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x4OZ7.png)  
  
`

「買{ばい}」([Baxter-Sagart
OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_\(2014\)):
**/*mˤrajʔ/** , _to buy_ ) is composed of semantic「貝」( _cowrie shell_ , used
as currency in Ancient China, indicating _money_ ) and phonetic「网{ぼう}」(
**/*maŋʔ/** ).

> 「网」depicts a _net_ , and this word is written as「網」in Modern Japanese.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-06T08:13:00.233
73381
2019-12-09T01:15:11.480
2019-12-09T01:15:11.480
26510
26510
73379
answer