貧 (pín) — poor, lacking

entries → 貧

TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字

貧 character · B1 (est.)

貧＝分＋貝

ㄆㄧㄣˊ · pín

adj — poor, lacking

字源 FORM — what the parts do

分聲fēn — gives the sound, and the sense of splittingto divide, split apart

IF≠fēn → pín — divided wealth, with the sound much shifted

貝義a cowrie — money, wealth

Wealth (貝) divided up (分) until each share is small — to be poor. 分 fēn both splits the meaning and lends the sound, worn far from the modern reading. 貧窮、貧困、貧民.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

一份錢（貝）越分（分）越薄——分到最後，窮了。

The money (貝) split (分) thinner with every share — divided down to poor.

字源記憶法

意 · Meanings

(本義)貧窮、貧困— poor, lacking常用

→貧民— the poor, the destitute

⇒貧乏— scarce, deficient

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