支 (zhī) — to prop, support; to pay out; measure — for sticks, pens, troops

entries → 支

TSUMUGU · TOCFL 3 (est.) · 字

支 character · TOCFL 3 (est.)

支＝十＋又

ㄓ · zhī

verb — to prop, support; to pay out; measure — for sticks, pens, troops

字源 FORM — what the parts do

十形half a bamboo (竹) — a stripped branch

又義a hand, gripping

A hand (又) gripping half a bamboo stalk (十) — a branch cut from the stem. From the branch in the hand: the prop (支撐、支持), the payout (支付 — handed over), the offshoot (分支). Tree branches later grew their own character, 枝.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

竹竿劈成兩半，手（又）握住一根（十）——撐住歪掉的籬笆。

The bamboo split in two; the hand (又) takes one half (十) and props the leaning fence.

字源記憶法

意 · Meanings

(本義)枝條— a branch cut off

→支撐、支持、支援— to prop, support常用

→支付、開支— to pay out — handed from the hand

→分支、支線— an offshoot, branch line

(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension