[a] Rockface RF |
Hard, obdurate, unyielding. These are some of the qualities of the "stone" or "rock" radical—number 112 in a classic series of 214 lexical markers in written Chinese or, for our purposes, Sino-Japanese. The word combinations below will give you a sense of the kinds of connections that this character has inspired in all aspects of life and practice.
Let's take a look at the etymology of the character, followed by a few combinations. By all means, check out the following sites for useful information on the character:
石
Radical 112
Chinese (Mandarin): shi2 (Cantonese): sek6
[b] Bridgestone RF |
Korean:
Selections from The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary.
石 Radical112
Ishi stone. At left: ishi hen. Nickname: Stone.
SEKI, SHAKU
ishi stone, pebble, rock; jewel; the go playing stones.
koku 4.96 bushels; ten cubic feet (of lumber)
石工 いしく ishiku workman, craftsman (stone + work)
石火 せっか sekka flint fire; flash (stone + fire)
石弓 いしゆみ ishiyumi crossbow, catapult (stone + bow)
石川 いしかわ ishikawa river with stony bottom (stone + river)
石匠 しきしょう sekishyou stone mason (stone + craftsman)
石道 いしみち ishimichi stone road (stone + path)
石門 いしもん ishimon stone gate (stone + gate)
石橋 いしばし* ishibashi stone bridge (stone + bridge)
石切 いしき(り) ishiki(ri) quarrying (stone + cut)
石臼 いし うす ishi usu stone mill (stone + mortar)
* Also (せっこう)
**Also (せっきょう)
And then we have a cluster of other combinations that remind us that not all language is neutral or suited to the tastes of "modern" readers. The nature of all life is that it is historical and cultural. The dictionary (all dictionaries) is chock full of terms that hearken back to darker times. If you have been reading the news, you will quickly see that every one of these terms remains relevant in some parts of the world. "Stone" carries with it more than merely lexical or phonetic baggage, and I replicate some of the more harrowing terms here without further comment.
石女 うまずめ umazume barren woman (stone + woman)
石婦 せきふ sekifu barren woman (stone + wife)
石打 いしう(ち) ishiu(chi) stoning (stone + beating)
石合戦 いしがっせん ishigassen fighting with stones (stone + unite + war)
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