TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 · 字
吃
ㄔ · chī
verb — to eat
字源 FORM — what the parts do
ITqǐ → chī — q crossed to ch
A mouth (口) with 乞 qǐ for sound. The graph first wrote stuttering — words catching in the mouth, and 口吃 keeps that sense; everyday speech then moved eating in from the heavier graph 喫. The mouth went from tripping on words to taking in rice: 吃飯、好吃.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
筷子一動，口（口）一張——半碗飯沒了。
Chopsticks move, the mouth (口) opens — half the bowl gone.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)口吃— to stutter — words catching
→吃飯、吃菜— to eat — moved in from 喫常用
⇒吃力、吃驚— to take — strain, a shock
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension