I am currently studying kanji by using a number of sites, some of which
provide mnemonics to aid in learning. While not a specific radical per se (I
think), the top portions of the following characters, 恋, 変, and 湾 are often
thought of as a simplification of the character for red: 赤. Thus there are
mnemonics provided for kanji like those mentioned that use this idea of "red."

However, <http://www.kanjinetworks.com> states that the etymology of this
(quasi-)radical is as follows:

> 䜌 (Type 1 Phonetic) is 絲 (糸 thread doubled, a character now subsumed in 糸) +
> 言 words (in its original sense of making verbal distinctions → distinguish)
> → make tangled threads distinct by stretching and untangling them.

In other words, rather than "red," it is in fact a simplification of an
archaic character related to the "thread" radical, 糸.

I am interested to know if this is correct, and how native Japanese perceive
or conceptualize this (quasi-)radical--as being related to 糸, 赤 or something
altogether different.

For example, here is the whole entry from the site on the kanji 変 :

> 変 (9) ヘン か（える・わる） Formerly 變
>
> As per 䜌 (Type 5 Phonetic) as described in 恋 (tangled) + 攵 action indicator
> → an attempt to untangle a volatile situation, that leads to change →
> unusual; unusual/wondrous event; political event; internal disturbance.
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2012-09-26T16:38:48.277
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question
kanji etymology
Question on mnemonic device for characters such as 恋, 変, and 湾
I'm just a student of Japanese, and I only know how I conceptualize it, not
how anyone else does. So this may not be a very good answer, but I'm typing it
anyway in case it's useful.

As I understand it, there are two different 亦:

  1. The original 亦
  2. 䜌 written as 亦

So, 亦 does not "come from" 䜌, but 䜌 as an element is sometimes written as 亦.
Broadly, then, you can put characters containing 亦 into two categories, which
tend to have different sounds. The large majority appear to be 亦-as-䜌, while
亦-as-亦 shows up in 跡 and 亦 itself, which is used to write one sense of the
word また. So:

When I write 亦-as-亦, I think また.

When I write 亦-as-䜌, I think レン.

Why レン? Well, it seems to represent that sound:

  * 攣{れん} (as in the word 痙攣{けいれん})
  * 恋{れん}/ [戀]{れん}

I then draw mental arrows out from レン to what appear to be related readings:

  * ヘン, as in 変{へん}/[變]{へん}
  * ワン, as in 弯{わん}/[彎]{わん}
  * バン, as in 蛮{ばん}/[蠻]{ばん}

I know that's not an answer to your question, but I hope it's helpful anyway.
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2012-09-26T22:39:08.000
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answer
Probably too detailed for a mnemonic device, but here's an explanation of the
characters. In「恋」,「変」, and「湾」, the top (right) was indeed originally「䜌」, and
functions as a phonetic component. Their [Old
Chinese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Chinese) reconstructions as given
by [Zhengzhang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhengzhang_Shangfang) are:

  * 戀 /*b·rons/ > Middle Chinese /liuᴇnH/ > _On'yomi_ れん
  * 變 /*prons/ > Middle Chinese /pˠiᴇnH/ > _On'yomi_ へん
  * 灣 /*qroːn/ > Middle Chinese /ʔˠuan/ > _On'yomi_ わん
  * 䜌 /*b·roːn/, /*b·ron/, /*b·rons/

The top (right) component mentioned is different in origins from:

  * 「亦」, originally a person「大」with marks located at and emphasising the armpits;

# `[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/wmhWP.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wmhWP.png)  
  
[合集32035](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=32035&jgwfl=)``現代  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LQxwH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LQxwH.png)  
  
`

  * The bottom of「赤」, originally a person「大」and fire「灬」(variant of「火」).

# `商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0KOpl.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0KOpl.png)  
  
[合集15679](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=15679&jgwfl=)``[春秋](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period)  
[金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kKEkZ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kKEkZ.png)  
邾公華鐘  
[集成245](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=245&jgwfl=)``  
[篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/At3lz.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/At3lz.png)  
[說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)  
``現代  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/E69PE.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/E69PE.png)  
  
`

* * *

The explanation of「攵」in「變」is largely correct.「攵」(variant of「攴」) depicts a hand
holding a hitting implement, and in「變」it just represents _motion_ in general,
leading on to the meaning _change_. 「䜌」, however, just provides a sound hint.

> # `商  
> 甲  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z9Mzu.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z9Mzu.png)  
> [上博2426.31](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=13&bh=2426.31&jgwfl=)  
> 合集27742``[戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)  
> 金  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LBPIe.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LBPIe.png)  
> 燕侯載器「教」  
>
> [集成10583](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=10583&jgwfl=)``[楚](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_\(state\))  
> [簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips)  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rO7GH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rO7GH.png)  
> [{{kr:
> 包}}2.99](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/reference/chuwenziReference)「教」  
>  ``現代  
> 楷  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wgTjL.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wgTjL.png)  
> 「教」  
>  `
>
> Shape evolution of the「攵」component, as shown in later forms in the
> character「教」.「攵」is found in many characters to do with _attacking/punishing_
> ; the character「教」depicts a child「子」learning arithmetic (represented by
> two「㐅」, original character of「五」) under threat of being beaten by「攵」. The
> two「㐅」and「子」later fused into「孝」. Another example is「牧」, which depicts a
> cow「牛」being herded by a hand with a whip「攵」.

「亦」was chosen to replace「䜌」in simplification efforts because a calligraphic
cursive variant of「䜌」looked very similar to「亦」. The similarity can be seen if
we look at the following two-step process. First, write the second stroke
of「言」long enough to cover「絲」:

#
`[元](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_dynasty)ㆍ[趙孟頫](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao_Mengfu)  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VGmqf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VGmqf.png)  
續千字文「變」  
`

Then, abbreviate「絲」and the last five strokes of「言」:

#
`[明](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty)ㆍ[文徵明](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wen_Zhengming)  
[行](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-cursive_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LeOr1.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LeOr1.png)  
赤壁賦「變」  
`

The top now heavily resembles「亦」.
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answer