TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字
乖
ㄍㄨㄞ · guāi
adj — well-behaved, obedient; (older) contrary, perverse
字源 FORM — what the parts do
乖形rendered bare — the old pieces left no readable tracethe back-to-back split sits in the spread arms, but doesn't survive as a clean component
The old graph drew two things turned away from each other — backs apart, facing opposite ways — and meant contrary, perverse: 乖戾, 乖張. The pieces no longer separate cleanly in 乖. The everyday sense flipped: a child who gives no trouble is now 乖, obedient.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
兩邊朝相反方向掰開——背對背，誰也不順著誰。
Two halves pulled apart facing opposite ways — back to back, neither yielding to the other.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)乖戾、違背— contrary, perverse
→乖巧、乖— well-behaved, obedient常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension