TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
闆
ㄅㄢˇ · bǎn
noun — boss, shopkeeper, proprietor (老闆)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
A gate (門) with three mouths (品) shut inside it. The boss is the one who stands in the doorway and does the talking — 老闆. The piece inside the gate is three 口 stacked, not a sound the modern reading can be read off.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
店門（門）一開，老闆站在門口，嘴（品）一張就招呼客人。
The shop gate (門) swings open; the boss fills the doorway, mouths (品) already calling the customers in.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(引申)老闆— boss; shopkeeper; proprietor常用
→老闆娘— the boss's wife; the proprietress
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension