指 (zhǐ) — finger; to point, to indicate

entries → 指

TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字

指 character · TOCFL 1 (est.)

指＝扌＋旨

ㄓˇ · zhǐ

noun/verb — finger; to point, to indicate

字源 FORM — what the parts do

扌義a hand

旨聲zhǐ — gives the sounda spoon (匕) to the mouth — a good taste, the point of a thing

A hand (扌) names the body part; 旨 zhǐ gives the sound, and its own sense — the gist, the point of something — sits well with what a finger does. So 指 is the finger (手指), and then the act it performs: to point, to indicate, 指示、指路.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

一隻手（扌）伸出一根指頭——往那兒一指。

A hand (扌) puts out one finger — and points right there.

字源記憶法

意 · Meanings

(本義)手指— finger常用

→指示、指路— to point, to indicate常用

⇒指望、指靠— to count on — to point one's hopes at

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