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+--- Thread: emperor and chief (/thread-1002.html)
emperor and chief - ivoSF - 2007-12-11
both the emperor and chief kanji use the " white" kanji as a primitive, does the collor white signify some sort of status?
emperor and chief - dwhitman - 2007-12-11
I don't know the answer to ivoSF's question, but can I climb on with a parallel one?
Both 雄 male and 雌 female have the turkey primitive. Is there some connection between this primitive and gender?
emperor and chief - Ramchip - 2007-12-11
kanjinetworks.com :
雄 (12) ユウ;お;おす SIS of 厷
SIS of 厷 combines a hand and a bending line representing an elbow. 雄 is 厷 (Type 1 Phonetic) (extension) + 隹 short, squat bird → male bird spreading its wings to display authority → male; strong; brave; manly.
雌 (14) シ;め;めす
As per 此 (Type 1 Phonetic) (irregular) + 隹 short, squat bird → feathers spread irregularly over the rear end of a female bird.
皇 (9) コウ;オウ
王 (Type 1 Phonetic) king + an abbreviated form of 自 self, functioning as described in 皆 (the nose being the first part that appears in normal childbirth; here, suggesting "founder") → founder of an imperial dynasty → emperor.
伯 (7) ハク
人 person + 白 (Type 6 Phonetic) for the sound alone to simulate a monosyllabic term of address children would direct toward an older person of the approximate age of one's father → respected elder male → eldest brother; count; earl.
emperor and chief - Dragg - 2007-12-11
I found an interesting article about the connotations of "white" in Japanese culture:
"White indeed imparts a pure image. Underlying this pureness, however, is strong determination to reject any light. While black absorbs the sunlight, white reflects it. White is a bright color, sometimes glaring, and dazzling our eyes. If you think of Japanese terms that contain "haku" or "shiro" (both mean white), you will easily understand the strong power and toughness that characterize white."
Therefore, in addition to any phonetic trait of the radical, perhaps "white" also contributes a sense of tenacity and purity to the two kanji you asked about.
Full article is here: http://www.hiroshima-gas.co.jp/english/color/color7.htm
emperor and chief - Dragg - 2007-12-11
Also, according to Kenneth G. Henshall's "A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters", the original character for emperor did not include "white" at all, but instead featured a pictograph of a crown which was very similar to "white" but with three prongs at the top instead of just the one.
emperor and chief - dwhitman - 2007-12-11
ooooo, Ramchip, thanks for the etymology on 雄 and 雌, but even more thanks for the pointer to kanjinetworks.com! What an amazingly useful site!