TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 · 字
短
短 ＝ 矢 ＋ 豆
ㄉㄨㄢˇ · duǎn
adj — short (in length or time)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
矢義an arrow — the measuring rodlengths were judged against the shaft
FTdòu → duǎn — the final worn round
Lengths are judged against the arrow (矢) — 說文: 以矢為正; what falls inside the shaft is 短. 豆 gives the sound, dòu worn to duǎn. Short cloth, short days: 短褲、短期.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
布攤開，拿箭桿（矢）一量，差半桿——短了。
The cloth unrolled and laid to the arrow shaft (矢) — half a shaft missing: short.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)長短— short in length常用
→短期、短片— brief — short in time
⇒短處— the short side — a shortcoming
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension