TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
左
左 ＝ 𠂇 ＋ 工
ㄗㄨㄛˇ · zuǒ
noun/adj — left; the left side
字源 FORM — what the parts do
𠂇義a left hand
A left hand (𠂇) holding the carpenter's square (工) — the hand that steadies while the right hand works. The old sense is to assist; that sense later took a person (亻) and became 佐, leaving 左 for the side itself.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
左手（𠂇）按住曲尺（工），右手落墨——一條線畫到底。
The left hand (𠂇) pins the square (工); the right hand draws the ink line straight through.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)輔助— to assist — the steadying hand
→左邊、左手— left, the left side常用
→左右— left-and-right — roughly, about
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
右＝ ＋ 口yòuthe mirror hand — 左 holds the tool , 右 keeps the mouth 口佐zuǒthe helping sense, re-staffed with 亻