寺 (sì) — a temple, monastery; (old) a government office

entries → 寺

TSUMUGU · A2 (est.) · 字

寺 character · A2 (est.)

寺＝寸＋之

ㄙˋ · sì

noun — a temple, monastery; (old) a government office

字源 FORM — what the parts do

寸義a hand at the wrist — to handle, administer

之聲zhī — gives the sounda foot stepping out — to go to

IFT≠zhī → sì — an irregular shift off the donor

A place run by hand (寸), where matters are seen to — the old word for a government office. 之 carries the sound, shifted irregularly from zhī to sì. Later it settled on the Buddhist monastery: 寺廟、佛寺. As a sound-piece it builds 持、待、詩、時.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

一隻手（寸）在堂上料理公務，一進一出（之），事事經手。

A hand (寸) tends the business of the hall, comings and goings (之) all passing through it.

字源記憶法

意 · Meanings

(本義)官寺— a government office (archaic)

→寺廟、佛寺— a temple, monastery常用

(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension