TSUMUGU · TOCFL C1 (est.) · 字
牴
牴 ＝ 牛 ＋ 氐
ㄉㄧˇ · dǐ
verb — to butt, gore (with horns); to clash, contradict (牴觸)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
氐聲dī — gives the sounda low base pressed to the ground
Tdī → dǐ — only the tone lifts
An ox (牛) lowers its head; 氐 dī carries the sound, the tone lifting to dǐ. The ox drives its horns down into something — to butt, to gore. Two things butting head-on clash: 牴觸 is one fact running straight into another. It rides the 氐 series: 抵、底、低.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
牛（牛）壓低頭，角抵到牆根（氐），用力一頂。
The ox (牛) drops its head and drives its horns into the base of the wall (氐).
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)牴、以角觸— to butt, gore with horns
→牴觸— to clash, contradict常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension