TSUMUGU · B2 (est.) · 字
掩
掩 ＝ 扌 ＋ 奄
ㄧㄢˇ · yǎn
verb — to cover, conceal
字源 FORM — what the parts do
扌義the hand
奄聲yǎn — to cover over, suddenly; gives the sound — and the covering toodual-role: 奄 (大 spread over 申) already means to overspread
The hand (扌) lays over and hides — to cover. 奄 yǎn carries the sound and pulls double: 奄 is itself "to overspread," a body (大) thrown over what's beneath. So 掩蓋 covers up, 掩飾 papers over, 掩耳 stops the ears, 掩埋 buries.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
手（扌）一伸，奄（奄）地一下罩過去，東西就不見了。
The hand (扌) sweeps over and, all at once (奄), the thing beneath is gone from sight.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)掩蓋、遮掩— to cover, conceal常用
→掩飾— to gloss over, paper over常用
⇒掩埋、掩護— to bury; to give cover
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
奄yǎnthe phonetic and the covering itself — 掩 sets the hand to do it淹＝ 氵 ＋ yānsame , but on 氵 — to drown, submerge