TSUMUGU · TOCFL B2 (est.) · 字
防
防 ＝ 阜 ＋ 方
ㄈㄤˊ · fáng
verb — to guard against, defend, prevent
字源 FORM — what the parts do
阜義a mound of earth, an embankment (阝)
Tfāng → fáng — same syllable, the tone eased
說文 reads it 隄——a dyke. The earth-mound (阝) is the bank thrown up against the flood; 方 fāng carries the sound, worn to fáng. From the embankment that holds water back comes the broad sense: to guard against, prevent — 防止, 預防, 國防.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
沿著河堆起一道土牆（阝），方方正正（方）——水來了，擋在外面。
A wall of earth (阝) raised along the river, squared off (方) — when the flood comes, it holds.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)堤防— an embankment, a dyke
→防止、防備— to guard against, prevent常用
⇒預防、國防— to take precautions; national defense
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension