TSUMUGU · TOCFL 4 (est.) · 字
持
持 ＝ 扌 ＋ 寺
ㄔˊ · chí
verb — to hold; to grip; to keep up
字源 FORM — what the parts do
扌義a hand
{z,c,s,zh,ch,sh}ITsì → chí — the sibilant crossing; tone shifts too
A hand (扌) with 寺 sì for sound — 說文: 握也, to grip. To keep gripping: 保持; to grip and not yield: 堅持; to hold a thing up: 支持.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
手（扌）一握緊，就不鬆——那樣子一直持著。
The hand (扌) closes and never opens — the hold just keeps.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)持— to hold, to grip常用
→保持— to maintain — to hold steady常用
→堅持— to insist — to hold firm
→支持— to support — to hold up
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension