TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字
延
延 ＝ 廴 ＋ 㢟
ㄧㄢˊ · yán
verb — to extend, prolong; to delay
字源 FORM — what the parts do
廴義a long stride, a road drawn out
㢟聲yán — gives the sounda foot pressing on, walking far
A long stride (廴) with the walking drawn out (㢟) — going on and on, hence to extend, to prolong. The old graph carries two tellings of the sound: one reads 㢟 as the donor, a foot pressing forward over distance; the other reads 正 as the donor, worn toward yán. Either way the walking-far picture holds. From the lengthening: 延長、延伸、延遲.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
路（廴）越走越長，腳（㢟）一步接一步，看不到盡頭。
The road (廴) draws out longer, the foot (㢟) stepping on and on with no end in sight.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)延長、延伸— to extend, prolong常用
→延遲、延期— to delay, postpone
→蔓延— to spread, creep outward
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension