TSUMUGU · TOCFL B1 (est.) · 字
慘
慘 ＝ 忄 ＋ 參
ㄘㄢˇ · cǎn
adj — miserable, tragic; cruel, savage; badly
字源 FORM — what the parts do
忄義the heart
Tcān → cǎn — initial and final hold, tone shifts
The heart (忄) cut deep — the old sense is a sharp, poisonous pain. 參 cān carries the sound, only the tone moved (參 itself also reads shēn). The harrowed heart: 悲慘, 慘重, 慘忍.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
心（忄）像被毒針扎透——慘。
The heart (忄) pierced as by a poisoned needle — miserable.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)毒、劇痛— severe, poisonous pain
→悲慘、慘重— miserable, tragic常用
⇒慘忍— cruel, savage
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension