TSUMUGU · TOCFL 2 (est.) · 字
龍
ㄌㄨㄥˊ · lóng
noun — a dragon; the imperial, the auspicious
字源 FORM — what the parts do
龍形rendered bare — the old graph carries two tellings
The old graph carries two tellings. In one it is a single picture: a great crested serpent, jaws at the left, body and flying form trailing right — the dragon drawn whole. In the other it parses as flesh (肉) plus a flying shape, with 童 tóng cut down for the sound, worn across to lóng. Both draw the same beast that climbs to the sky at the spring equinox and dives to the deep at the autumn one. As a sound it builds a series: 籠、聾、壟.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一條有冠的長蛇（龍），左邊張口，右邊身子一甩，騰空而起。
A crested serpent (龍), jaws flung open at the left, body lashing right as it lifts into the sky.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)龍— a dragon常用
→龍王、龍袍— the dragon king; the imperial dragon-robe
⇒龍鳳、望子成龍— the auspicious — dragon-and-phoenix; rising to greatness
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
龖dátwo stacked — a pair of dragons in flight; stands single籠＝ 竹 ＋ lóngthe series — a bamboo cage