TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字
粥
ㄓㄡ · zhōu
noun — congee, rice porridge, gruel
字源 FORM — what the parts do
Rice (米) cooked down soft and thin — congee. The two flanking marks (弓 弓) are worn remains of an older graph: rice in a pot with vapor rising on either side. Plainly the everyday dish: 米粥, rice congee; 牛肉粥, beef congee.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一鍋米(米)熬得稀稀爛爛,兩邊熱氣(弓)直冒——粥好了。
A pot of rice (米) simmered soft and thin, steam (弓) rising on both sides — the congee is done.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)米粥、稀飯— congee, rice porridge常用
→牛肉粥、廣東粥— a savory congee
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
鬻yùthe older, fuller graph behind 粥 — 鬻 cooks the rice in a 鬲 (cauldron); 粥 keeps just the rice and the two steam-marks