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The three kanji 恵, 専, and 敷 share the same first 6 strokes. Using the
traditional radicals I could describe them as being composed "一, 日, 丨..." at
the start and then finishing "...心", "...寸", "...⼂, 方, 攵" respectively. Are
the first 6 strokes derived from some older kanji? If so, does this kanji have
a meaning and what would it be in Japanese?
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kanji
Is there a meaning to the 6 stroke component that 恵, 専, and 敷 share?
So, actually 敷 has a different origin from the other two kanji.

Looking at [wiktionary entry for 敷](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%95%B7)
in fact tells us that composition is comes from `旉攵`, the first of which is
composed of `甫方`. Notice the importance of the extra `⼂`.

Doing the same for [恵](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%81%B5) or
[専](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%82) gives us ``. But actually more
importantly is the note in wiktionary that, both those kanji are 新字体, aka
Japanese simplifications of originals: 惠 and 專. Note how the part in question
is now very different and is now this character:
[叀](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%80).

As for the meaning, I'm not sure the meaning of these components is valuable
to understanding the 3 characters above, but they can also be read on the
wiktionary entries.
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Going back to [_kyūjitai_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%ABjitai),

  * The first 8 strokes of「惠」and「專」share「叀」
  * The first 6 strokes of「敷」uses「甫」

which are different components.

* * *

「叀」depicts an ancient type of ceramic tile used for weaving or spinning
thread.

# `[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/QMf6C.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QMf6C.png)  
[鐵](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)104.1  
[合集32985](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=32985&jgwfl=) ``  
[篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UyP3W.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UyP3W.png)  
[說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)  
``現代  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kpKCY.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kpKCY.png)  
  
`

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZHiUV.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZHiUV.png)

「叀」serves as two different phonetic components, which may hint at the original
and extended meanings of「叀」in some characters:

  * 「[叀]{せん}」 in「[專]{せん}」 
    * _(Ceramic) tile_ is now written as「[磚]{せん}」
    * _To spin/turn_ is now written as「[轉]{てん}」([Shinjitai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai):「転」)
  * 「[叀]{けい}」([ _Fanqie_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanqie): 胡桂切) in「[惠]{けい}」 
    * _[Tassel](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tassel)_ is now written as「[穗]{すい}」(Shinjitai:「穂」); 
    * _Fine cloth_ is now written as「[繐]{ けい}」

* * *

「甫」was originally「⿱屮田」, which depicted a vegetable (plants「屮」) garden
(field「田」). This word is now written as「圃」.

# `商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Om8HH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Om8HH.png)  
[後](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)1.31.1  
[合集7897](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=7897&jgwfl=)``  
篆  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L95UB.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L95UB.png)  
說文解字  
``現代  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ofbkX.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ofbkX.png)  
  
`

> Due to historical development, the characters/components「田」,「用」, and the top
> of「周」will appear as graphical variations of each other in the modern
> script.「用」is the shape that appears in the modern form of「甫」.

The character「[敷]{ふ}」meaning _spread_ was developed through

  1. 「尃」, semantic「又」( _picture of a hand_ ; semantic variant「寸」) and phonetic「[甫]{ふ}」;
  2. Change to a shape variant「旉」;
  3. Addition of an _action_ semantic component「攵」( _picture of a hand holding a whip_ ).

* * *

**References:**

  * 季旭昇《說文新證》
  * [小學堂](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
  * [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
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