TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 · 字
姐
ㄐㄧㄝˇ · jiě
noun — elder sister; miss
字源 FORM — what the parts do
{j,q,x}Iqiě → jiě — a step inside {j,q,x}
A woman (女) with 且 qiě for sound, q stepped to j. 說文 records it as old Shu speech for mother; the word slid a generation down to elder sister, then widened to any young woman: 姐姐、小姐.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
出門前，姐姐（女）蹲下來，幫妹妹把鞋帶綁好。
Before they go out, big sister (女) crouches and ties her little sister's laces.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)母(蜀語)— mother — in old Shu speech
→姐姐— elder sister常用
⇒小姐— miss — a young woman
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension