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What are the lexical differences between these words?

I always thought it works like this:

手{て} — **_arm/hand_** — arm in general, from fingers to shoulder.

腕{うで} — **wrist** — part of arm that connects hand to forearm, e.g. 腕時計{うでどけい}

However in Hamada Mariko's "Love Song" there are the following lyrics:

> このまま死{し}んでしまいたい、あなたの腕{うで}の中{なか}で。

頭{あたま} — **_head_** — part of body formed by skull and everything inside and
attached to it: brain, jaws, eyes, ears, nose, scalp.

首{くび} — **_neck_** — part of body that connects head to trunk.

However, character Celty from anime series "Durarara!" who has no head says:

> 首{くび}をなくした、首{くび}を探{さが}す。

It sounds confusing because however I look at her she **has** a neck but
nothing above it:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KO930.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KO930.jpg)
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question
meaning words usage
Body parts confusion: 頭{あたま} vs 首{くび}, 手{て} vs 腕{うで}
Well let's check the dictionary:

> _**Te**_ :
>
>   1. The upper limbs of the human body. The part extending from the left and
> right shoulders of the upper torso. The part from the shoulder joints to the
> tip of the fingers.
>   2. The part [of that] starting at the wrists. Also used not of this entire
> section, but vaguely of the fingers, palms etc.
>   3. The forelimbs of non-human animals, in the same manner as 1. and 2.
>

>
> _**Ude**_ :
>
>   1. The part of the human body starting at the shoulders and down to the
> wrists. The part from the elbow up is called the 上腕{じょうわん} (upper arm), and
> from the elbow down, the 前腕{ぜんわん｝ (forearm). In a broad sense, also used of
> the forelimbs of vertebrate animals, and of members that extend to grasp
> objects like the tentacles of hydras, etc. _Kaina_.
>

>
> [Senses 2, 3, 4 are metaphorical.]
>
> _**Atama**_ :
>
>   1. In animals, the part from the neck up (首から上). […] The part above the
> neck including the brains, eyes, ears, mouth etc. _Kashira. Kōbe._
> [Alternatively,] The part starting at the neck and topped by hair, as
> distinguished from the face.
>

>
> [Senses 2–11 are metaphorical.]
>
> _**Kubi**_ :
>
>   1. In vertebrates, the narrow part that connects the head (頭) to the
> torso. Well-developed in mammals or birds, but not always clearly
> discernible in reptiles or simpler animals. In humans, supported by 7
> cervical vertebræ. In a broader sense, used of any narrow constriction
> connected to animals' torsos or abdomens. 頸部{けいぶ}.
>
>   2. The part starting from 1. and including everything from there up.
> _Atama_.
>
>   3. [presumably archaic usage] Face (顔). Visage (容貌). Said especially of
> pretty faces and good visages, or metonimically of people considered to have
> such. 「看板の首といふものありて」
>
>

>
> [other meanings metaphorical or extended.]

All quotes from the electronic edition of the _Kokugo Daijiten_ , translated
by me.

I strongly recommend consulting native Japanese dictionaries for this kind of
doubt, rather than just lists of English glosses. If you can't read Japanese
at that level yet, try Kenkyūsha's Japanese-English dictionary, which has each
word broken down into its various senses with sample usages of each.

Regarding Celty, consider that in Japanese set expressions like "cut off their
head" or "bring me the head of their general" use _kubi_ , not _atama_ for
"head". We've seen that _kubi_ can be a synonym for _atama_ ; but, just like
in English one can "kill time" but one cannot "murder time" or "assassinate
time", in Japanese _kubi_ is, by normal usage, the word of choice in those
contexts. Given that, it's no surprise then that e.g. the Celtic ghost
Dullahan is described in Wikipedia as a 首のない男, while a headless knight is a
首なし騎士.
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answer
> What are the lexical differences between these words?

The definitions of these words and the lexical differences between them could
be examined in a dictionary. As far as I have examined, it is exactly as
answered by others. However, for those words are very familiar to us, I
couldn't ignore the subtle differences between the definition in the
dictionary and the recognition of how we understand these words in our daily
lives. So, I will show you a normal understanding of Japanese people without
too much biased in the definition of medical knowledge or dictionaries.

> However, character Celty from anime series "Durarara!" who has no head says:
> **首{くび}** をなくした、 **首{くび}** を探{さが}す。 It sounds confusing because however I
> look at her she has a neck but nothing above it:

In this case, **首{くび}** implies a **_head_** or the **頭部｛とうぶ｝** " in the
picture.  
As the usage of "首" similar to the case you showed, there is a phrase
"首を取｛と｝る". In this case, "首" in "首を取る" also implies "head" or 頭部 in the
picture, and the phrase is a short form of "首を切｛き｝り取る". Of course the phrase
actually means "頭部｛とうぶ｝を切り取る". As the result, the head is separated from the
torso at the neck, but the means to make the head separated from the torso is
not to tear it off from the torso but to cut it off at the neck.

Because "首がない" is a phrase in an animated cartoon, the phrase meaning "頭部がない"
is used as if there were not any serious problem in it, but basically the
state without a head is abnormal, so it is an expression could be used only in
animation.

A word "首" in the meaning of head is used in the specific case of cutting off
someone's head and killing them．This kind of conduct is rarely done now, but 首
is more often used now figuratively in the meaning of "the top of an
organization". In this sense we say like "首を挿｛す｝げ替｛か｝える", "首を差｛さ｝し替｛か｝える" or
"首を替｛か｝える" when **_dismissing the top of an organization and changing it_** in
the figurative sense. For ordinary people, "首を切る" is commonly and also
figuratively used to mean "to dismiss or fire someone". As for this typical
case, to the employee who made a big mistake or gave a major loss to the
company, the president would say "お前｛まえ｝の首を切る！" meaning "お前を解雇｛かいこ｝する", but
usually he would say simply "お前は首だ！" or more simply " **首だ！** ". I think this
simple phrase has momentum and meaning comparable to English phrase " **You're
fired!** "

In this sense, a gesture of slashing the neck in the form of a _karate_ chop
is figuratively used.

Regarding **腕｛うで｝** , the nuance of the place that means "腕" in "腕時計｛うでどけい｝
_wristwatch_ " and "腕" in "あなたの腕の中｛なか｝で _in your arms_ " in the examples by
the questioner are quite different. "腕時計" is the only correct word for a
"wristwatch", but the part of the body where we wear a watch is said "
**手首｛てくび｝ _wrist_** " and never said 腕, though the "手首 _wrist_ " is the part
of the "腕 _arm_ " that is shown in the picture. By the way, we never say "
**手首時計** " for a wristwatch. I am very sorry for those studying Japanese, but
I certainly think Japanese is complicated.

Attention is necessary also regarding " **頭｛あたま｝** " and " **顔｛かお｝** " shown
in the picture. As is written in OP's question and in another answer, in many
dictionaries, "頭" is defined as follows: "頭" is "the part above the neck
including the brains, eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc.", but in Japanese as in the
picture, 頭 and 顔 are in different places in the "頭部｛とうぶ｝ _head_ ". This is the
same as the alternative definition in leoboiko's answer. Specifically, the 頭
refers to the place where hair grows, not including eyes, ears, nose and
mouth. We say 頭を洗｛あら｝う for "to wash one's hair" and 頭を乾｛かわ｝かす for "to dry
one's hair". This is a clear evidence for that 頭 is the place where hair
grows.  
In Japanese, you would say as "ヘルメットは頭を守｛まも｝る道具｛どうぐ｝です _A helmet is gear to
protect your 頭_ ", but even if your helmet does not protect your 顔, you will
not complain. Because we understand 顔 is not included in 頭 unlike the general
definition of dictionaries. This is another evidence for what 頭 is.

**顔** refers to the front of the head or it refers to a portion that enters
into sight when viewing the head from the front vaguely.  
Since " **耳 _the ears_** " are located in a position difficult to be
classified when viewed from the front, opinions are divided, but many Japanese
including me do not regard the ears as parts of 顔. However, teachers of
painting seem to think that they want to include the ears in the parts of 顔,
because when they say "正面からの顔を描いてください _Please draw a picture of the face from
the front_ " to the students, it is natural that they intend to let their
students to draw the front view of the head including ears.

When you say "手で顔を覆｛おお｝いなさい！ _Cover your face with your hands!_ " or
"手で顔を隠｛かく｝しなさい！ _Hide your face in your hands_!" to the Japanese people, they
would cover the front of the head, so called the face, with both hands, but
they would not hide the ears. I think it is not because the two hands are not
enough wide to hide up to the ears, but because, I think, they do not think
the ears are the parts of 顔. In my strict definition, **_頭部** the head_
contains 頭, 顔, and 耳 _ears_ as is shown in the picture. The Japanese who hear
my definition will show an unpleasant face at first, but after a while, I
think that they will convince and nod their head in agreement by seeing the
picture. As a supplementary explanation about 頭, 顔 and 耳. **顔** is the part
excluding 頭, the part where a hair grows, from 頭部, the head excluding the
neck, and leaving organs related to a facial expression. Regarding the organs
not related to a facial expression, the nose is the same as the ears, but nose
is included in 顔 because, I think, it is in the middle of 顔.

Speaking of 顔, I already explained that it is related to the front of the head
or a facial expression. As I said before, there is an interesting metaphorical
or figurative meaning in 首, as well as in 顔 there is a figurative meaning with
the actual meaning. In another sense, 顔 or the face can be defined to be "
**the part by which we can recognize or identify who the person is** ".

In relation to this meaning, there is a phrase "顔が見える" or "顔が見えない". There are
also expressions as adjective clauses like "顔の見える" or " 顔の見えない".  
These expressions are used in actual cases where the face is not visible
because it is specifically shadowed or he/she is looking behind, but it is
also used figuratively besides that. For example, it is used like "顔の見えないODA
援助 (Official Development Assistance) ". In this case, "顔の見えない" is used to mean
"not known who it is". In other words, it means "ODA assistance not being
known which country made(/is making) it".

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