TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
很
很 ＝ 彳 ＋ 艮
ㄏㄣˇ · hěn
adverb — very
字源 FORM — what the parts do
彳義a step
艮聲gèn — gives the soundan eye turned back over the shoulder — a glare
{g,k,h}ITgèn → hěn — the {g,k,h} crossing; tone shifts too
A step (彳) on the left; 艮 gèn carries the sound, g worn to h — its old graph an eye glaring back over the shoulder. The first word is defiance, fierce and unyielding (that sense now written 狠); the fierceness wore down into the everyday degree word: 很多、很好.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
腳步（彳）停住，回過頭瞪一眼（艮）——偏不走。
The steps (彳) stop; the head turns with a glare (艮) — not moving.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)違逆、兇悍— defiant, fierce — the old word, now written 狠
→很（程度詞）— very — the fierceness worn into a degree word常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension