65940
Kanji "stone" contains (cliff 厂 + mouth 口).. my question is what is the idea
of mixing mouth with cliff ... the cliff function here is clear because it's
some thing related with stone.. but what is the mouth function?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-10T10:35:12.857
65938
2020-03-09T00:20:53.937
2019-03-10T13:40:30.163
26510
32763
question
kanji etymology
What is the etymology of the kanji 石?
「石」was originally

`[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/ExxHL.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ExxHL.png)  
[乙](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)3212  
[合集13505](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=13505&jgwfl=)`

which is a depiction of _stone chimes_. The original meaning of「石」is _stone,
rock_.

> There was an ancient musical instrument made out of stone chimes
> called「磬」.「磬」was originally「声」, which depicts _stone chimes_ 「石」suspended
> with _threads/string_ (now looking like「士」as the top part of「声」). In the
> character「声」, the _stone chimes_ component「石」is written as「」.
>
> Later, _a hand holding a striking implement_ 「殳」was added onto「声」,
> forming「殸」, to emphasise that the instrument is meant to be struck. Finally,
> another semantic「石」( _rock, stone_ ) was added on to「殸」, as a further
> emphasis that the instrument was made of stone.
>
> `商  
> 甲  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EGGFC.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EGGFC.png)  
>
> [前](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)7.42.1  
>
> [合集8613](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=8613&jgwfl=)``[春秋](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period)  
> 金  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/c6lBo.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/c6lBo.png)  
> 鎛  
>  ``  
> [篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script)  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HChcD.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HChcD.png)  
> [石部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77391&page=57)  
> [說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)``今  
> [楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KSBNj.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KSBNj.png)  
>  
>  `
>
> In modern Japanese,「声」is used to represent another word, which was
> originally written as「聲」( _sound_ , extended to mean _voice_ ).「聲」([Baxter-
> Sagart
> OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese?wprov=srpw1_0#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_%282014%29):
> **/*[l̥]eŋ/** ) is a compound of「殸」( **/*[C.qʰ]ˤeŋ-s/** , _stone chimes
> being struck_ ) and「耳」( _ear_ ), indicating the meaning _sound_.

A _distinguishing symbol_ 「口」was added to mark the name of an ancient region
called「石」. This distinguishing symbol has been inherited in some variants of
the character up until the modern form of「石」.

`商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jPIRK.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jPIRK.png)  
[乙](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)1277  
[合集376](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=376&jgwfl=)`

> _Distinguishing symbols_ were often added to existing characters to form new
> characters, and some of these symbols are inherited in the modern form. The
> symbol「口」or its derivatives「甘・曰」was added to a few older characters to form
> proper nouns (names of states/regions), such as「商」([ _Shang
> Dynasty_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty)),「周」([ _Zhou
> Dynasty_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_dynasty)),「曹」([ _State of
> Cao_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cao_\(state\))),「曾」([ _State of
> Zeng_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sui_\(state\))), etc, and their modern
> forms have permanently inherited this symbol (regardless of whether they're
> used to represent a proper noun or not).

The _stone chimes_ component was later simplified into「厂」, then the strokes
were further altered slightly into「丆」, resulting in the modern shape.

`[西周](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou)  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IzJot.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IzJot.png)  
己侯貉子簋  
[集成3977](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=3977&jgwfl=)``[東漢](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/xN1AF.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xN1AF.png)  
景北海碑陰  
``今  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EPJ6m.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EPJ6m.png)  
  
`

* * *

There are characters built from variants of「石」which may or may not have the
distinguishing symbol「口」. In fact,「石」was subject to several different shape
changes across different characters, obscuring their connection to「石」:

  * In some characters, a few strokes in the form of horizontal lines (probably _decorative_ with no meaningful function) were added on to「石」, as seen in the second form of「声・殸・磬」.

`[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/bnAVX.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bnAVX.png)  
80  
荊門包山2``楚  
簡  
[![<](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IlYRt.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IlYRt.png)  
199  
荊門包山2`

These shapes are present (without「口」) in e.g.:

    * 「叚」

`西周  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bfdw4.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bfdw4.png)  
盠尊  
[集成6013](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=6013&jgwfl=)``春秋  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iQkdC.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iQkdC.png)  
曾伯陭壺  
[集成9712](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=9712&jgwfl=)``[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty)  
簡  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wBHxS.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wBHxS.png)  
秦律十八77  
[睡虎地秦簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)``今  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rneYz.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rneYz.png)  
  
`

    * 「段」

`西周  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKSCf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKSCf.png)  
段簋  
[集成4208](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4208&jgwfl=)``  
篆  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BIZt5.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BIZt5.png)  
[殳部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77389&page=109)  
說文解字``今  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gqBo5.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gqBo5.png)  
  
`

  * In some characters,「石」is written as「⿸广廿」, such as in「度」,「席」, and「庶」.

`商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y5xLg.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y5xLg.png)  
[珠](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)979  
[合集10399](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=10399&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rOp0x.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rOp0x.png)  
伯庶父簋  
[集成3983](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=3983&jgwfl=)``  
篆  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/odzXc.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/odzXc.png)  
[广部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77391&page=54)  
說文解字``今  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/d2CGu.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/d2CGu.png)  
  
`
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-10T13:18:18.503
65940
2020-03-09T00:20:53.937
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
26510
65938
answer