88824
Please explain the origin/sense/meaning of the top component of the 益 kanji.  
It doesn't seem to be any normal radical, nor any common "variation" thereof.
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2021-08-08T11:20:13.227
88823
2021-08-08T23:22:34.357
14419
question
kanji radicals
What is the top component of the 益 kanji?
This Kanji was created by a character creation method called 会意(Kaii). 会意 is a
method of constructing Kanji that combines two or more Kanji to form a single
Kanji and synthesizes its meaning.

For example, the Kanji "休" is composed of "人" and "木" and is said to have been
created to express the meaning of rest, as a person rests leaning against a
tree.

So, 益 is made up of a 皿 and 水 (think of the upper part as a collapsed version
of 水). The overflowing of water(水) from the plate(皿) expresses the meaning of
overflowing - Since Kanji "益" has such a meaning, which is why the words like
"利益( _profit_ )" and "有益( _beneficial_ )" were created.
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2021-08-08T11:37:25.797
88824
2021-08-08T11:56:02.907
2021-08-08T11:56:02.907
45272
45272
88823
answer
時期  
字體 | 字形 | 參考資料  
---|---|---  
[戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)・[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_\(state\))  
[璽印](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_\(East_Asia\)) |
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1jcfN.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1jcfN.png)
| 133  
珍秦齋古印  
[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty)  
[簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips) |
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ay9pH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ay9pH.png)
| 秦律雜抄15  
[睡虎地秦簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)  
[篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script) |
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jsG5T.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jsG5T.png)
| [皿部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77390&page=36)  
[說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)  
[西漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han)  
[隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script) |
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GCXig.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GCXig.png)
| 相馬經5上  
[馬王堆帛書](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawangdui_Silk_Texts)  
[東漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han)  
隸 |
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uYNlR.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uYNlR.png)
| [華山廟碑](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8F%AF%E5%B1%B1%E5%BB%9F%E7%A2%91)  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script) |
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3s9uK.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3s9uK.png)
|  
  
「益」 depicts a _shallow container / dish / vessel_ 「皿」 (see e.g. the bottom
part of [「盟」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=3135),
[「盛」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2278), etc.) with
_water_ [「水」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=147)
overflowing from the top, indicating the original meaning _to overflow_ ; this
word is now complexified into 「{{zh-tw:溢}}」, made by adding an additional
「水・氵」.

The original character 「益」 was later extended to mean _to gain, benefit_ ,
which is its modern definition.

Note that in 「益」, 「水」 is written **sideways**. For reference, you can compare
it with something like 「清」:

`  
[![益](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jsG5T.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jsG5T.png)  
``  
[![清](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YJ7ba.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YJ7ba.png)  
`

* * *

**References:**

  * [漢語多功能字庫](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf)・[「益」](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%9B%8A)
  * 季旭昇《說文新證》
  * [小學堂字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
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2021-08-08T12:47:19.347
88826
2021-08-08T23:22:34.357
2021-08-08T23:22:34.357
26510
26510
88823
answer