TSUMUGU · TOCFL B1 (est.) · 字
掘
掘 ＝ 扌 ＋ 屈
ㄐㄩㄝˊ · jué
verb — to dig, excavate
字源 FORM — what the parts do
扌義the hand at the side
{g,k,h→j}ITqū → jué — the q palatalizes to j, tone shifts
A hand (扌) bends to the ground and turns it up — to dig. 屈 qū carries the sound, the reading sharpened to jué. The hand that goes down after what's buried: 挖掘、掘井、發掘.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
手（扌）彎著（屈）往下挖，一鏟一鏟，把井刨出來。
The hand (扌) crooks down (屈) and digs, blade after blade, until the well opens up.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)挖掘、掘土— to dig常用
→發掘、掘井— to excavate, unearth常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension